I Must Ask . . . For A Prayer

The world has need of helping hands,

And hearts that know and feel.

The work to do is here for you;

Put your shoulder to the wheel.

–Will L. Thompson, Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel

I'm jumping right to the heart of today's post because I believe there is an urgency to this that's bigger than chit-chat about fun summer activities. What's on my mind does have a lot to do with summer, though. This summer has been a dry one. That is not really a surprise since we live in the desert. But I believe it has been extraordinarily dry. I can't remember the last time it rained and I'm certain that every canyon entrance and campground "Fire Danger" sign is marked "Extremely High." In Utah, alone there have been over 400 fires this year, most of them small and quickly extinguished, but some of them large and uncontained. Close to 750 homes have been lost in Utah, Idaho and Colorado in the past several months. And while the nearest fire to my home is about 25 minutes north, it has rained ash four out of the last seven days.

So today I must ask . . . for a prayer; a prayer for those who've lost their homes, a prayer for the brave men and women who fight to save homes and lives, and a prayer for rain.

It is very overwhelming to me to wonder what I can do to help. I am one little person. What could I possibly do to make a difference? Julie, at Having Fun Quilting has put out a call for quilts {or quilt blocks, or flimsies or fabric} for those who have lost homes. At first, I was skeptical that something as small as a quilt could help someone who had lost everything.

But then I read something Kayde of My Laisy Daisy said, that changed my mind. She said, You have no idea how much that quilt will mean to them. My house burned four years ago, and while we sat there watching the firemen do their thing a good friend stopped by and gave me a little lap quilt. That quilt means the world to me and brought a lot of comfort in a time of need.

I've been thinking about how I can help and I have a plan to finish a disappearing 9-patch I started and never finished. I'm going to keep it simple for a quick finish. If you have the time {or resources}, consider what you can donate. Julie has made several changes to her initial request; in addition to families in Utah who have lost their homes, donations will go to Colorado, where the most homes have been lost. For donations, contact Julie via e-mail or at her blog.

Posts about the fires in Utah:
Having Fun Quilting: Wood Hollow (Fairview)
Richard & Tanya Quilts: Clay Springs (Scipio)
PinkSuedeShoe: Quail (Alpine)
Heidikins: Quail (Alpine)
Single Dad Laughing: Quail (Alpine)


Ending on a positive note, thanks for telling me what you love about summer! Hopefully, we'll pick back up next week.