The Fire

Submitted by Anne Chapman

Once a month I join my Coast Guard Auxiliary friends for lunch.  Over the years our lunch group has dwindled to only six of us (plus Jim, Pastor’s dad, who now joins us).  We are a close-knit group. One member of our group is Frank, who has been a long-time friend of my husband and mine, as well the others.  Our normally jubilant group was very quiet this day. The day before, on Tues., a fire had been set in Pollock Pines and was spreading uncontrollable.  Frank was very concerned about his family cabin. This is a cabin they started building 45 years ago. The cabin is near Stumpy Meadows Lake. About 12 miles away, the King Fire was heading in that direction.  

 

The seven us held hands around the table and said a prayer, thanking God for watching over the cabin and asking Him to protect it.  People in Frank’s son’s church in southern California had also started praying. Before I continue, I want to tell you that all of us at lunch are strong believers in the power of the Lord.  Frank, himself, has been a member of the Lutheran Church of the Master in mid-town Sacramento for over 80 years – since he was born. 

 

No one was allowed in the area of the fire.  To make matters worse, Frank’s TV and computer went on the fritz, making reception intermittent and information more difficult to receive by him.  Daniel, a friend, stepped in to help keep Frank informed. Winds were whipping the fire and it continued to change directions. Cal Fire had cut a fire break around the cabin; however, this fire was known to jump breaks.  At one point the fire was coming over the Stumpy Meadow Lake area where it stopped at the dam which is 1 ¼ miles from Frank’s cabin. That’s only the equivalent of 20-25 blocks from a towering inferno!

 

Meanwhile, Daniel had been watching the situation via satellite on his computer.  He could see Frank’s cabin, the solar panel on its roof, and the surrounding area.  THEN, all of a sudden, a small, strange rain cloud appeared and sat right over the cabin area!  It looked like the shape of a dinner plate, and its radius appeared to be about 1 ¼ miles in diameter.  It simply sat there and didn’t moved from Saturday at 10:00 am until Sunday at 2:30 pm. Not only did Daniel see this, but Frank was able to see it momentarily on his TV.  The fire did not reach the cabin. It finally went the other way and did not return.

 

When Frank asked Daniel, “Where did the cloud go, which direction?”  Daniel replied, “Nowhere. It just disappeared.”

 

“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20