Columbia River Gorge, Washington looking to Oregon
Isaiah 43:2 GNT
When you pass through fire, you will not be burned;
the hard trials that come will not hurt you.
Smokey Bear has been on a mission of wildfire prevention since 1944. As a part of the WWII war effort following Pearl Harbor, the Forest Service wanted to initiate a civilian based prevention plan in case incendiary bombs were used on the Pacific coast. Disney allowed for the use of the Bambi characters, but only for a short term. The animals proved to be an effective agent of fire prevention, so the Forest Service maintained the theme by creating a bear named Smokey. Smokey was brought to life in 1950 after a fire in New Mexico. An orphaned cub was found clinging to a charred tree. Badly burned, he was successfully rescued and dubbed Smokey Bear. Smokey caught the attention of an entire nation that eagerly followed his recovery. He healed and spent the rest of his life safely at the National Zoo. When he passed away in 1976, he was taken home to New Mexico to be buried, but his legend is still at work. While miracles are possible, Smokey serves as a reminder that we can get physically hurt in this world. God promises that when we put our faith in Him, trials or fires will refine us and strengthen us like gold is refined by fire and iron is strengthened. Our outsides could get charred, but with God our hearts will never be marred. Incidentally, his name is Smokey Bear, the “the” was only added to make the advertising jingle work! August 9, 1944 has officially been dubbed as Smokey’s birthday.
