Often times it is not the big things that will bring you to your knees in a sobbing, blubbering heap…. It is the little things that follow as a result of those big things.  I was stupid.  I did not evacuate my home when the firemen told me to leave.  The Bastrop fire was in front of me.  The winds were blowing the fire AWAY from me.  “I” decided, (it is always those “I” things that get us in so much trouble), that it would be better for me to stay and pray… pray for the safety of the firemen, the animals, my neighbors.  Unbeknownst to me, there was a raging fire barreling down on me from behind. 

It is only by the Grace of God that I made it out alive with my two furry, four legged children driving over burning asphalt through a corridor of black smoke.  The way was marked only by the orange glows on either side as the flames illuminated the dense smoke.

My home, the Sufi Center and all I owned now lies in a pile of ash and yet I am one of the fortunate ones.  Thanks to wonderful insurance coverage, I will be able to rebuild my life, my home and the Sufi Center.  Many are not so lucky.
The shock is now wearing off.  Sounds of sirens or strong breezes are enough to create the stirrings of panic deep within my belly.  A passing dark cloud is too reminiscent of the smoke.  The orange glow of dawn reminds me of the flames illuminating the night sky.  Eating dinner, I reach for the salt, but it is no longer there.  It isn’t just the salt that is no longer there, it is 100’s of other little things that are so imbedded in our daily lives that we don’t even think about them much less realize they are missing until you reach for them.  I stand in the middle of the store not knowing where to even start.

All this said, I am fine.  I am sustained by my Lord.  I see His deep blessings in the movement of His Essence as well as His Loving, Merciful Hand behind all that is unfolding.  Many people ask what they can do to help.  These suggestions hold true not only for those affected by this tragedy but for all those struggling not only in our country but throughout the world.  It matters not if it is a wide spread crisis or a crisis that is individual and purely personal.

• Have compassion and patience.
• Realize that the big things are usually being dealt with in some way.  It is the little things that incapacitate us and bring us to our knees.
• Be of service to others in simple ways like making some necessary phone calls for us.  It can make the difference between whether we continue to function or go into a complete overload and breakdown.
• Just sit with us for a little while and hold our hand.  There are no words that need to be said.  The touch of your hand is enough.
• Love us… just love us.

We know that all is in God’s Hands.  We know that everything will be perfectly fine in the long term.  We trust in the end result because we know and understand the deep reality that there is only Love.  For now, we just need someone to pass us the salt.