In our imagination or in biblical terms, paradise is supposed to be a place of absolute comfort where suffering is nonexistent, a sanctuary far above the reach of sorrow and destruction for that matter.
But on earth, even paradise burns. Take your time to think about it. It humbles a lot. It is bad news for those who accumulate great wealth without helping those in need.
The town of Paradise in California, yes, that is its real name, was once a peaceful hillside community. Trees stood tall like they were paid to look green. Families built retirement homes and even dreams with happiness.
And for many who lived there, it truly felt like a small piece of heaven. But in November of 2018, all of that changed in a single day. A wildfire, later named the Camp Fire, cut through Paradise, and within hours, the town was reduced to ashes. Homes, schools, memories, all of them, gone in a blink of an eye.
And yet, even as the fire cooled, life did not stop. People mourned, yes but then they started over. Some returned. Some never did. But none of them would ever be the same, again. You know how that one feels, to build brick by brick after a very big bend on this journey of life that is how it was for these people. And just when they thought they had healed, just when the pieces had begun to fall back into place, January 2025 came, and with it, another terrible fire. A second inferno. Paradise burned again. Everything they had rebuilt with trembling hands over the last seven year, gone.
It is one thing to build. It is another to build again after losing it all. But for the people of Paradise, that is what life demanded of them. To rise not once, but twice. To face the flames with the courage to start over again.
Many don’t actually have an idea how it happened. But Paradise was not a poor community. There were resources, emergency plans, fire trucks, and sirens. And yet, the fire still won. Not because the people were weak, but because sometimes nature is stronger than preparation, and life doesn’t always give warnings in time.
That is one of the hardest lessons this inferno taught has taught me and it is sad to accept the fact that you can do everything right, and still lose everything. There are many examples around, even in your personal life. There are things you have tried and most times, you only wonder if there is something you didn’t do right because none of them worked.
Sometimes, we think we are safe because of our status, our savings, and our structures. But Paradise burned just like any poor neighborhood might have. Fire doesn’t check your bank account before it knocks down your door. It simply comes. And most times uninvited and when you least expect it.
But it also makes me think. We spend so much time in this world accumulating things. We tie our identities to our jobs, our homes, and our titles. We cling to possessions like they matter that much in this fragile world. But the fire teaches us differently. When the flames come, they don’t just burn homes. They burn ego. They strip away all the illusions of control and permanence we carry. And what remain is just us facing the reality of our existence.
It is a reminder that we are not as permanent as we think. The achievements we display, the status we chase, the image we polish, they all disappear in the face of loss. And yet, there is something beautiful human about starting again, even from the ashes.
As painful as it is, we all face moments when life asks us to begin again. After loss. After failure. After sickness. And even when it feels impossible, we do it. We rebuild. Don’t over stress about what you have lost because life has many possibilities. It could be lost now and gain tomorrow. Just pray that you live long enough, the rest, God will take care of it.
And For those who live with abundance, this fire is a warning. Wealth can build walls, but it can’t stop nature. Use what you have to lift others. One day, you might be the one needing help, too. Thanks for reading.