Ashes to Hope: Help Shelby Rebuild

My name is Angela Edwards and my mom is Shelby Willard.

Ashes to Hope:

When I picked up the phone yesterday, my mom was on the line crying and said, "My house is on fire." I grabbed my things, ran out the door, and raced to VA to find several fire trucks and dozens of people outside my family home.

In disbelief, I stood in our yard watching what was left burning to the ground. I initially couldn't fully comprehend what I was seeing. Then, a fireman from Meadows of Dan walked up to me and Mom in the front yard and handed me a stack of scorched photos he was able to grab. At that moment, I wanted to fall to my knees as I realized that everything they had ever owned was gone.

If you have been blessed to know my Momma, you know she is an extremely sentimental person who is emotionally attached to all of her belongings. She took great pride in sharing mine and my brother's, grandkids' childhood holiday homemade cards, ornaments, etc., and sentimental things that were priceless to her. She held onto decades' worth of belongings with intention and purpose for 50 years. But every single one of those items has now been taken from her.

As my children were looking through debris late yesterday evening, one thing remained, and it reminded me of “His Promise.” The book surviving the fire is the message that He will not forsake us. He does not bring the bad upon us, but He is there with us through it all. You can take it away, but you can never stop His word. We are a witness to that right now. Seeing that Bible in the middle of that burned debris...

It’s going to be a long journey for my parents to recover from this terrible loss, being in their late 60s and 70s, but I know with God there is a way! Any support would be greatly appreciated as we try to rebuild their home.