Blessings among tragedy

I finally drifted off to sleep sometime after 1:15 this morning after talking with Chris after he arrived home. At 2am I was awakened by the phone ringing. The RS pres. is out of town and I'm the counselor so the bishop called me. He informed me that he was up at the old airforce base which is all in our ward boundaries. He said the Earls home had burnt down. Not only do the Earls live in our ward but Kevin is my husbands life long friend. They were childhood pals and they both are nurses in the operating room here at Samaritan Hospital. I woke up Scott and we rushed up there. Firetrucks were everywhere and the smoke was so thick. It actually was a three house fire. Someone in the neighborhood had been lighting off fireworks and the fire started in Earls carport and quickly spread to the home and other residences. Everything is a total loss for these three families. One of the families lived across the street from us for ten years. In the midst of all the chaos lastnight the bishop and his counselor and Scott gave the Earls a blessing. With all the sirens and lights and people coming and going there was for that small moment a calm and a peace that I can't describe. It was as if angels were surrounding us....and I believe they were. The families made it out with just the clothes on their backs. Within a minute of exiting the house the whole house was engulfed in flames. Three families lost all their stuff.....but it is stuff! Everyone got out alive. It was truly a miracle. What a blessing. I have two priesthood holders in my home....and this morning they didn't leave in white shirts and ties....they left in work boots and gloves to go and help a friend in need. They spent all day up there going through ashes trying to help them retrieve anything they could. I have witnessed in these last 24 hours the pure love of Christ. In the three hours during church that Sis. Cain and i were coordinating donations there were beds, couches, cars.....you name it.....people are donating it. Earls were the only members of the church.....but as I stood to conduct RS today I reminded each of those sisters that 3 families were homeless. Donate what we could and share with each of these families. The outpouring of support has been tremendous. As I went back to the house this morning with the family and people would drive by and give me their names and numbers I marveled at the goodness of people. It was evident that a lot of these people did not have a lot to give....but they offered what they had. I live in a wonderful communtity. Our ward is small and it is really having its share of stuggles. THis is the 2nd house fire in our ward in two months.....and yet once again people offered all they had. I'm so thankful for the blessing the Earls received lastnight to get all of their family out safe. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to love and serve in this calling. I'm thankful to have a bishop that stayed right by their side in the middle of the night. May God bless these 3 families with peace at this difficult time and may he use each of us as his instruments to bring this to pass.