Yosemite Fire and the Shifting Wind

A shift in the wind has found us breathing in the smoke from the Yosemite Rim Fire. We live less than 60 miles from the gates of Yosemite and the Rim Fire is miles beyond that. Even with the miles between us our sky is gray and the stench of smoke is thick. The devastation of such a beautiful area is heart-wrenching.

Displaced animals are scurry about seeking shelter and water.They are disoriented and confused. People are wondering if they will have homes to go back to when the fire is extinguished. Some of nature's most striking beauty is charred black and covered in ash. 

In California we get used to hearing about fires but we never get used to their destruction. I guess sometimes things must burn to make way for new growth and new hope. 

In the wake of the fire we will learn of the survivors. The surviving animals, people, and nature. The things that survived but will be forever changed. The resilience of life is amazing. Whether plant or animal...life is magnificently strong.

My friend compared life to a forest fire. Sometimes we go through painful devastation and complete destruction. But, after the initial damage has swept through life slowly begins anew. We access the situation. We repair and rebuild. And, new sprigs of life and hope appear in our lives. Sometimes a complete burn is a good thing because it makes a fresh start not only possible but necessary. 

Just like with life, it is hard to imagine the beauty of Yosemite ever returning to this scorched area. But it will. It will take significant time but life will come back. Habitats will be restored and animal life will populate the area as surviving trees grip the soil and hold it all together. Nature is awesome and extreme; just like life. I image that is just the way God planned it.