Recently our area experienced wildfires unlike any in the lives of even our oldest citizens.  High winds and high temperatures came at the end of our dry season – a recipe for disaster in our area of dense forests.  Trees were blown down bringing power lines with them.  The sparks were carried by high winds to very dry trees and grasses.  Arsonists added to this volatile situation.  Nearly a million acres of forest were in flames including towns.  There were so many small fires in our community that I lost track.  Each fire threatened the homes of our family, friends, and neighbors.  Our federal, state, and local firefighting resources simply couldn’t meet the needs of everyone.  So our little community was on our own.  After evacuating their families, a group of men and women gathered together to do what they could to save their community.  As one man put it, “We weren’t going to sit around and watch while everything our ancestors did burned to the ground.”  Another man remarked about the volunteers, “I played in the mud with these guys.  We played football together.  Some of these men have been my mentors in life.” By working together as a committed band, they cut fire breaks and doused flames saving, among others, our daughter’s house, and possibly ours.  God intervened on behalf of all of us and calmed the raging winds driving the fires.  Because if God hadn’t stopped the winds, no amount of human effort would have been successful.

Husband and I attended the last briefing of our local volunteer wildfire fighters.  We stood on the fringes of the rough and ready group who was meeting in the Safeway parking lot to close their almost two weeks of intense defense of our community.  Many of the men and women were young.  But there was a cross section of ages, and judging by appearance, income levels.  How such a rag-tag, small group managed to do what the government had been unable to do to save homes and lives amazed me.  

So what did they, themselves, have to say?  The two young leaders were men of few words as were most of the men who addressed their comrades.  They gave thanks and credit to those who supported them in the fray- those who worked hard to coordinate meals and donations, as well as those who maintained and fueled their equipment.  They repeatedly remarked that it had been a united, group effort.  Then one man stepped forward and gave his take on how they had managed to work together as a team.  He said that although he was one of the older men at 40 years old, he realized that he needed to take orders from the two younger leaders.  He felt that humility was the key to the unity of this group.  His comment stood out to me as significant when he said, “We all had to check our egos at the door and do anything we were asked.”  He could’ve demanded his rights as an older member of the group, or respect for his accomplishments in life.  But he chose to put his qualifications aside and humbly accept his orders, as did the others.  Another man talked about trust.  That they had had to trust one another with their lives in the dangerous situations they faced.  Others spoke of hard work and determination in the face of da  unting circumstances.  After all, most of the men had no training, their equipment was gathered from ranchers and small businesses, they started from scratch with nothing but love for their hometown, and the gumption to try when it looked hopeless.  This group of men and women had stood firm against the formidable fire dragon.  They are heroes.

Hmmmm… sounds like a very practical sermon.  Thankfulness, humility, obedience, trust, commitment, love, courage, service, unity, action.    

So how can I use these principles in my everyday life?  Glad you asked!  Here is an insignificant, but practical way I used these principles.  We had attended the firefighters’ meeting early Saturday morning.  The humility thing was still ringing in my ears a couple of hours later when I decided to ask an artist I know thru a mutual friend for some help.  I admire Shari’s beautiful watercolors of the flowers she photographs and makes into cards.  To my delight, she was happy to share her methods and the software she uses.  She could have kept the information to herself or not taken the time to explain how she makes her images.  Instead, she believes in unity among artists and took the time to act on my need for help by serving me.  I trusted her enough to believe the software would help me and I took action by checking it out.  Then I was brave enough to try it, and finally committed to the software by purchasing it. If either of us hadn’t lived according to the principles of humility, trust, courage, commitment, service, unity, and action, I never would have learned about this beautiful new way to customize my images.  I’m so glad I was humble enough to be taught.  And I’m so glad she was willing!  (And I did tell her how thankful I am, so we covered all the principles but love, and we’re working on our friendship.)

All this reminds me of some very practical advice in the Bible about working together for the good of others.  Jesus, himself, is our role model.  He was the epitome of humility and service.  

“Then he [Jesus] began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
 . . . since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.  I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”  John 13:5, 14-15

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Matthew 28:20

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave.”  Philippians 2:6-7

Paul, the church planter, had a lot to say about how to work together in unity.

“Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.  Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” Romans 12:3-5

“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. . . let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name and don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say . . . may he equip you with all you need for doing his will.” Hebrews 13:1,15-17,21

We need each other.  If the men on that volunteer firefighting crew had each tried to save their own homes, the outcome would’ve been far different.  It was working together humbly doing what they could in unity that brought about the miracle of saving our whole community.  Let’s not try to be ‘Lone Rangers’.  Let’s learn from each other and serve each other!