I Was Born to Do This

 

 

 

One of the many characters in the French nativity santon,

hand painted over a hundred years ago.

Carries two baskets from the market filled with cabbage.

Some brought incenses,

some brought gold,

some came by with their lambs and drums;

The French santons, the many characters of the village come to the Provencal nativity, 'it takes a village" comes to mind when I see them set up.

I collect the old shabby looking ones, but the characters never change, I love this one who brings cabbages, like why not? The Provencal nativity scene

symbolically says to me, "Give what you have, come as you are, we can create a loving world if we bring our gift and share."

The santons make me feel like everything has a place and a purpose.

My brother Marty told me a story of a Man who was in Paradise the day of the fire, his volunteered service was to look in on the elderly, that day his boss called him and asked if he was going to Paradise, and the Man replied that he was just entering the town as they spoke. His boss said, "Come Home! It is too dangerous they are closing the roads." So the Man started to turn his car around to head home. But then he thought of a Shut-In that he usually visited and he knew he would not be able to escape if the fire should come to his house. So instead of turning around, he went to the Shut-Ins house. When he arrived the fire was close and the Man was scared thinking they were both going to die! He ran into the house and the Shut-In was sitting in his chair with a sleeping bag. The Man asked the Shut-In what he was doing with a sleeping bag, and the Shut-In replied, "I figured once the fire came in I would just zip myself up in the sleeping bag so I wouldn't see it." The Man picked him up and carried him to his car. On the terrifying ride home, the Man thought to himself how stupid he was because there was no way out of the burning furnace ahead of them, he thought I could have been safe and now it looks like I am going to die. On the way down the horrific firey road, he picked up other people whose cars had burned or who had run out of gas, when at last they made it out he thought, "This is why I was born. I was made to do this. Simple me, I am a hero." 

I hope I would have the courage to do the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[g]

maybe it is just me or the time of year but this too made me emotional-in the face of such danger-true love... to lay down one's life for another-the fork in the road-very powerful stuff!

[Stubblejumpers Cafe]

Wonderful fire story, thanks for sharing it! - Kate

[anw]

Tears in my eyes by the end of the story, a very selfless man - I hope the story was true.

[pc Brown]

I needed this today, thank you. I am humbled and in awe.

[Julie]

Beautiful! I've often heard that you never know what you'd do in situations like that until your in that situation.

[French la Vie]

It is, and there are many other beautiful heroic stories as there are painful ones. Paradise! As a friend of mine from Paradise said (who lost her antique business and home) said, " We are focusing on Grace and not Grief."
The people of Paradise need our prayers, support and listening to their stories.

[Marilyn]

I always love seeing your Santons.
That store is so wonderful in Paradise. There are so many stories from that fire. Thanks for sharing this one. I hadn't heard it and it touches my heart.

[Jan D-M]

Beautiful, Corey, as always. Reminds me of the single mom of five I met with today who is trying heroically to figure out how to survive with her newly diagnosed MS. At the end of our conversation, I asked if I could give her a hug. She clung to me like she hadn't been hugged in a long while. She reminded me to be grateful for what I have. We need each other.

[Diogenes]

How wonderful that he was able to save so many. After seeing the pictures of Paradise, he was very courageous indeed. What a good human being.

[joanna]

Yes and amen... let us not forget all the firemen and volunteers who came from all over to risk their lives for all the days the fire was burning.. All those brave unsung souls... May God Bless each and everyone.

[Candi D.]

With tears in my eyes and a prayer on my lips for all of God’s children. Thank you for that story and bless them all.

[Jennifer Phillipps]

Amazing heroic story, what a blessing that he did what he did! Thanks for sharing your stories!~ . J

[Jeanne]

On this earth there are many angels before us. God bless them all.
Truly amazing are they all.
We are truly blessed.
Thanks for all you share.
Love Jeanne

[Dd]

Me to

[Kathie B]

I think just about everyone is born with the capacity to do remarkable deeds. It's just a matter of whether the opportunity arises, and then if they seize it. In the case of the Camp Fire, the Man made a decision based on his assessment of the situation that he could rescue others and they all could (barely) get out successfully, for which I salute him.

Other people find amazing things to accomplish that may not be physically dangerous but take their toll other ways. E.g., Farmboy Husband chose to become a federally-protected good-faith whistleblower in a case that dragged out for more than five years, and dominated out lives (also during a period in which our last two surviving parents died). It was the right thing to do, but without delving into details, it was a difficult time for us, while those he reported did as much as they could to resist, and to retaliate shamefully against him early and often over that long period (they mistook his quiet, polite nature for a weak spine), to their ultimate regret. Farmboy Husband is my hero for everything he had to endure in order to do the right thing.

[Susan Matheson]

Thank you, Corey, for another story of courage of a hero who faced this horrific conflagration. There are more tales than people who had escaped, most with happy endings. Like you, I also wonder is I could stay steady when tested. I am flabbergasted at the attitude of those who have lost their homes. One of our friends lost their home and two other houses they owned in Paradise. When commiserating with them, she said after they grieved momentarily, they were grateful to have escaped, as well as their grown children and five grandchildren. Then she shrugged and said, "Well, we wanted to downsize anyway." I wonder if I could have had the courage and the grace.

[Lainey]

What a wonderful uplifting story. Thank goodness for that man. Pure unselfish heroism. Tears sprang to my eyes. Grateful that people like him exist to give us faith.

[Sue J.]

oh, my heart.