Forest Fires and the Code

There are numerous forest fires in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee burning and will continue to burn for the foreseeable future because of the severe drought.  Yesterday, we went over to volunteer at a fire department (not to fight fires but to support those who are).  While unloading supplies with a fireman from another district, he said that every morning when he gets up to drive over there are a “bunch of drinks, food, and stuff” on his porch or beside his garage that have been left anonymously by friends “who know I’m coming over here.”  Why did he share that story?  We think that the most important message is not the actual gifts, although that is important, but the encouragement that those gifts gave, and the support that they symbolized for him as he went about this job.  We may not be literally fighting fires, but we all know people who are struggling with something in their lives.  How can we “be a positive influence in the relationships” (as the Code says) we have?  There is no greater gift than support and encouragement.