Faith

Word count 150

The wind was uncomfortably hot, and the sky was permeated with soot and smoke, leaving it orange-colored, even at midday. I knew where we were bound, but nothing – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING could have prepared me for that reality. My world was burning down.

I don’t think I felt the horror of fire until I faced it; it was a roaring, orange monster. And we had come to fight for our ranch. Our weapons were wet burlap, shovels, and backpacks of water. Fire leaped and growled, drying the last of the moisture from ground it hadn’t even devoured yet. We fought for hours, but always, fire reclaimed everything we gained.

Just when it seemed hopeless, rain gushed from a cloudless, titian sky. I stood there getting soaked and watching wet soot travel down my family’s faces like ink. God did not announce himself with a burning bush – instead, He put it out.