Of Love & Loss

I quoted some from an article written by Mark Gwin about his family's experience with a wildfire in TX in my sermon on Sunday.  His an excerpt from the beginning of his article:

This has been a long lesson in humility and hope. That it is not a story of futility and despair, I give thanks to my family, friends, coworkers and community, who have taken a devastating event and made it inspirational.

My family and I fled from our home on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 4, while a gentle dusting of ash fell and the sun glowed red overhead in the thick plume of smoke that covered the sky. Since that day I’ve known moments of grief, but have yet to be lost in it because in every instant I’ve been uplifted by the bravery and kindness of others.

My wife, whose office was destroyed by the Wilderness Ridge Fire in 2008, has wisdom born of experience, and I try to heed her words. "It's not about letting go, it’s about letting in."  Opening to the new world in which I find myself, I am starting to learn how dependent I am upon the kindness of others.

You can read the whole wonderful article here and his wonderful quote, "Human kindness is grace made flesh."