I woke up yesterday morning and knowing I'd be taking my boys to the zoo with their Grandpa and Uncle I walked outside a few times. It looked foggy but felt like it would warm up. Right before I pick out their clothes I check the weather station, just to be safe. That's when I got distracted and checked Facebook as well. Then I saw that my neighbor had posted about a fire in her hometown taking down the hardware store. She's MY neighbor. . . her town is MY TOWN. Her hardware store is in sight from my front window. I run out to look and sure enough all that thick white fog was actually a billowing pillar of destruction. I could see the coloring in the smoke as I looked at it knowing what it really was. There was a hint of orange. Not much, just what was reflecting from the embers still being smoldered out.
I can't seem to figure out how to post the picture on my blog or share the article on my blog, so here's a link
What am I going to do about it? I have an open house this weekend. I"ll be donating 10% of all the proceeds of this open house to the hardware store for whatever they'd like to use it for. I'm not sure who's collecting funds for such a ministry, but in this small town, no one is hurt this deeply with out the whole town pulling together their resources.
Every family in Louisville and probably quite a few in surrounding communities have been effected in some way by this. My house, being up wind, smelled like a BBQ pit all day yesterday and the view from my front porch will never be the same again. Makes me wish I had taken a picture. Is that a real effect? Yes, but only be default. Many families now will be forced to drive out of town to get a simple box of screws to finish a project. Deeply effected are the families who worked there. I'm not sure how many families counted on an income from that store, but even one family missing an income (likely two incomes in the case of the owners) is one too many.
Whether you're local or far away, these families will need your prayers. If you're local you can do more than that, very easily. Drop off a meal or two, help stock their pantry. Offer to sit for the children so families can gather and discuss the hard decisions coming up. Make sure they've got warm coats for the kids and themselves, hats and gloves and scarves too. Let them know you still support them, while giving them space to grieve. This wasn't somebody getting fired or laid off. This was somebody that likely woke up to a phone call saying they lost a very substantial business. One they've owned for at least the 7 years I've been in Louisville. That's like loosing an old friend.
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