Quick! In case of fire, what would you take from home????

It's a question that was theoretical to me...until Sunday. Driving home from church, we saw huge plumes of smoke filling the sky. The woods behind our house were on fire. Luckily, these woods are separated from our home by a four lane highway. It made me grateful, for once, to live directly on I-81.

The fire was caused by a fallen electrical line. The harsh winds, with gusts up to 60 mph, knocked down the lines and fed the fire. The Fire Department said they'd let us know if we needed to evacuate. Since we experienced evacuation once before, when there was a chemical fire on the highway, I knew that this could happen with only a moment's notice. Therefore, I started to seriously plan what I would take.

What couldn't I live without? Clearly the kids and Dave. But what possessions did I need? What would I regret not having?

I sprung into action. First, I went through the house and took pictures...for memory as well as insurance purposes. It's one of those things you're encouraged to do and never, ever take the time to complete. Shot after shot showed the things that we've lovingly acccumulated and arranged. Even the messy bedrooms had a certain charm when I imagined never seeing them again.

I put on my best jewelry. Costume jewelry didn't make the cut. I made a box with all the famiy videos and a silver pitcher from my parents. In case of evacuation, I would instruct every family member to grab as many photo albums as they could carry. We have about 40, so we'd be okay if everyone made two trips!

Caroline, the planner, filled her backpack with important soft things. Her baby blanket. Some stuffed animals. A change of clothes. Alex, the stoic, went to a friend's house. In case of rapid flight, he requested I grab his cow pillow since "I can't sleep without it." He noted that he put his contact case and solution on the pillow; he would need those in the shelter.

I don't want to give the impression that I was frantic, but I was purposeful. I packed up a bag with my favorite Bibles. 3 of them, special for different reasons. I could never replace them. Also irreplaceable are things I've written over the last years. (With my sieve-like memory, there's no way I could ever recreate!) I realized I could bring my (beloved) laptop and the external hard drive. Phew, what a relief.

What would you take with you? And why? What do you really, really, really need to be content? Yesterday, it was a real blessing to realize that my treasured possessions are few.

The blaze was kept well controlled by local firefighters, but it was allowed to consume much of the ridge behind our home. As we see the charred remains, and see how it burned right down to the road, I pray we're reminded of what's really important. It's true what they say: "You can't take it with you."

But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
1 Timothy 6:6-7