Rejoice and be glad in it

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalms 118:24

My Wednesday this past week started quite like any other day--I got to work, did our morning duties, and headed to the front of the store to prepare for our daily opening.  Only when I got to the storefront on Wednesday, a slew of fire trucks were outside our door trying to put out a fire that had started in the restaurant that sits somewhat catty corner from our store,  I couldn't tell how bad the fire was, though a small amount of smoke was entering our store, and I waited for instructions from the fire department.  After a few minutes they knocked on the front door and informed me we needed to get out of the building.

I stood outside as the firefighters fought the blaze.  A crowd gathered and grew and watched the firemen do their job.At some point the roof of the restaurant collapsed causing a few gasps and many to take a step back, though the fire officials had the parking lot roped off and we were a very safe distance away.  Eventually the firefighters controlled the blaze--our store was mercifully left standing (three businesses weren't so lucky) with a lot of smoke damage.  Our bosses were there and sent us to other stores to help out until we could get back (estimates anywhere from a few day to four weeks) into the store and start over from scratch.  No one was hurt, but as I was leaving it was mentioned that a firefighter was missing.  I figured he had probably gone to find a restroom (it took pretty close to three hours to put the fire out) and would turn up shortly. 

You can imagine my surprise the next morning when I awoke, went downstairs, and was told by the Beautiful Girl that one of the firefighters fighting the fire had been killed when the roof collapsed.  He was twenty-nine years old and left behind a wife and a thirteen month old daughter.

There are those who would say that public service employees are overpaid and have too generous of a benefit package.  They always seem to forget that there are police officers and firefighters who put their lives on the line every time something goes terribly wrong.  And occasionally they lose their lives saving small businesses and the livelihoods of many people who depend on them for a paycheck.  No amount of pay and benefits is worth someone's life.

I've spent the last few days trying not to sweat the small stuff.  It's not that important, though I know eventually somebody's going to cut me off in traffic or the Giants will lose a heartbreaker and I'll forget that it isn't that important.

But I'm going to keep trying.  It's not much, but it's the least I can do to honor a man who gave his life helping to save my family's livelihood.

Peace,
emaycee