SAN DIEGO — This year would finally be the year that Pastor Kim Dawsey-Richardson, her husband Jeremy and their three children upgraded and remodeled their 120-year-old North Park Home.
On Tuesday, their home caught fire after a spark from a roofing project ignited the insulation. Though fire crews were able to save the integrity of the old house, Kim fears it might be a total loss. Clothes, books and toys were among the wreckage in the still dripping home.
“There’s this cycle of death, burial and resurrection in all things and nothing is ever ultimately lost,” Dawsey-Richardson said. “The things that are most precious can’t die. The things that we really need the most no one can steal from us, they can’t be burned down. They remain.”
Ten months before the pandemic started, Kim was named Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of El Cajon. In that time, she’s led the congregation through COVID-19, developed strong relationships and last week, reopened the sanctuary for the first time in 14 months. Her faith and those who practice "love thy neighbor" have seen her through this devastating loss.
“It’s surreal that in moments of such loss, sometimes you discover the enormity of love and how much relationships matter,” she said.
For the pastor and her young family, the house and the contents inside had years of memories. But family photos, drawings and most importantly, the family’s health, remain safe. It’s times like this that Pastor Kim turns to her faith for strength the see the important things.
“We are grieving,” she said. “This is a moment to live in that faith and to know on a deep grounded level, that we have all the things we need and that God’s love envelops us in all things.”
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