Watching in disbelief

Like so many people across the nation today, I continue to watch the unbelievable devastation caused by the fires in Southern California. My wife and I both grew up in central California and have lived in Los Angeles and San Jose, and we are familiar with a lot of these areas. It's hard to imagine almost a million people evacuated and Interstate 5 being closed near Camp Pendleton. That just doesn't happen. And, as quickly as the fires are moving, I fear that we will not know the full impact for several more days.

Please take a few moments during the coming days to pray for those in the middle of this nightmare: firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, displaced families, families who have lost their homes, families whose homes were saved, Red Cross workers, Salvation Army workers, service volunteers, national guard troops, utility workers, tanker pilots, those providing shelter at Qualcomm Stadium, universities, schools, and churches, and everyone else helping or hurting through this disaster. May they find peace and hope in the midst of their pain, because God is in the midst of their pain.