It has been getting very cold at night and my dad has been trying to regulate the heat better in the house. So, today my parents, brother, and I got to talking about heating systems. My parents remembered the old coal stoves they had growing up that would last through part of the night. This prompted my mom to recount the story of the fire that started in their home when she was young. Her father owned a bakery and the family lived in the upstairs area while the working bakery was downstairs. Apparently, one night a worker left a pan of water over the fire which boiled dry. The pan started the fire and it spread rapidly. The large jug of flavoring exploded and that woke up the family. They all escaped through the upstairs exit and woke the adjoining neighbors so they could also get out of the building. They lived in a very tight-knit community. The next morning, people came for their baked goods and purchased the smokey bread that was left as they knew the family was going to need the money. Over the next few days, scores of people in the neighborhood came to help get everything cleaned up. While the fire was tragic, everyone was safe. The community showed such generosity and support that they were able to rebuild and get the bakery back up and running.

I Found God today in story of a supportive, caring community.