Wildfires are a terrible destructive force. When the land is dry and the wind is blowing it only takes a spark to begin a blaze that burns hundreds, if not thousands of acres. If a fire goes unchecked it can threaten businesses, homes and even the lives of people. When a wildfire breaks out near a community worry and fear grab hold of the people of the area.
When a large wild fire broke out in the forest near Lake Lure, North Carolina worry began to settle in on this community. As the fire started the local fire department and the forest service began to battle the blaze. They were unable to stop the fire in an area that had not seen rain for sometime. Before long the fire had burned over 7,000 acres. Thousands of homes were in the path of this terrible fire. It took more than 700 firefighters, working day and night, for almost 25 days to extinguish the fire. Thankfully no homes were destroyed at the end of the 25 days.
When this fire was out, and with so many involved in fighting the fire, the people of Lake Lure knew they had to do something that would express a deep level of thanks. How do you say thank you for such a gift? The community began to work on a video that showed just how hard the firefighters had worked. The video made it clear that the effort of these firefighters from 25 states saved the beautiful lands of North Carolina, many homes and possibly lives.
The almost 8 minute video ends with nearly 5 minutes of individual residents simply saying, “Thank you.” Nearly every individual from all of the affected communities appeared in this video just to express their heartfelt appreciation. It was easy to see their gratitude for the sacrifices made on their behalf.
When we are grateful for things in our life the appropriate action is to say thank you. Gratitude is not something that should be kept to ourselves, it should be expressed to those who have made a difference in our lives. When the people of Lake Lure took time to say thank you they blessed those who blessed them. Who do you need to say thank you to today?
To see the full video go here.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
