Friday, January 04, 2008

Spencer Ave. Fire. . .

A couple of nights ago I was awakened at 4:15 a.m. by a call from the Red Cross. Calls in the middle of the night for a chaplain are never good. . . This call concerned a housefire on the West Side of Modesto and involved several families. I was called because one of the ladies was having a difficult time with the loss. Loss by fire is rough on individuals, a few hours earlier pictures and memorablia were secure and in the spot where she could grab and hold them when she wanted, a little while later they were incinerated beyond recognition. I have not experienced this type of loss, however, I could empathize with her in that moment. She was outside, 39 degrees and a little mist in the air. The only clothes she had to her name were on her back and they were her flannel pj's. The coat she was wearing was the camo jacket out of my truck. Her shoes were some deck shoes from the fireman who carries extra shoes for times like these.
One of the little known facets of the Red Cross is that they take care of needs like this initially to help people back on their feet. The Red Cross team provided her with two nights in a hotel, some provision for food and an allowance for clothes.
I have been volunteering with the Red Cross for five years and I am still amazed that this is a service they provide. It still baffles me with the "Christ Resources" we have in the United States that there is no coalation of Christians meeting this need. Granted the individuals that do much of this work for the Red Cross in Stanislaus County are Christ followers and I am blessed to work along side these indiviuals.

Buddy Gray