The FIRE!

When I was 13 years old my biological family and I went on a camping trip over the Thanksgiving weekend.  When we returned on Sunday our neighbor came up to the driver's side window and knocked.  When the window was rolled down he just said, "I'm sorry to tell you, but your house burned down while you were gone." 

Life changing.  Many things changed in my life when I was 13.  I lost all my possessions.  I wore the same pair of Levi 501's and 3 Hang Ten t-shirts that I had taken camping, for the next 4 months.  I told.  I told the secret.  Maybe if there had never been a fire....and we hadn't been separated temporarily....if I hadn't had that glimpse into "real" life....maybe I wouldn't have had the guts to get so angry.  Maybe that fire changed my circumstances just enough for me to learn how to stand up for myself.  I left.  I turned my back on the old and began the new.  New family.  New dreams.  New me.

Fire changes things.

J and A had a fire.  E and S had already left for school.  J had just driven away with C and A to drop them off.  A was just about to get into the shower while KS slept.  She smelled something.  The same kind of smell like when the vacuum belt is melting.  That burned plastic smell.  Not smoke.  Not fire.  No alarms.  Just that smell.  She almost ignored it.  She went in search and saw a fire next to the stovetop reaching up to the cabinets.  She stopped.  Remembered the fire extinguisher under the kitchen sink....sprayed it.....nothing.  Fizzled.  Stopped again.  Thought she could put it out with a towel....realizing after probably just seconds that it wasn't working and was even making it worse.  It was bigger now.  Smoke was getting heavy.  Grabbed her cell phone, took KS from her crib and ran out the door.  Called 911 first and then J.  He told her to get the hose. Jared was only at the corner... a few blocks away.  Things had happened so fast.  J drove home VERY fast...arrived before the fire engines.  A was in the back yard struggling to untangle the hose....J got it from her and entered the house from the back.  C helped untangle the hose and get the kinks out.  J laid on his stomach in the family room because the smoke was so thick.  He aimed the hose at the fire and had it pretty much out by the time the fire trucks arrived.  The firemen did their job and saved the rest of the house.  They determined that the fire started with the toaster.  No, no one was using it at the time.  It was just sitting there.  Plugged in.  It was always plugged in.  Isn't everybody's?  G explained that a plugged in small appliance is always receiving current.  Eventually if your wiring is damaged or old...eventually they catch on fire.  Every day.  Seriously.  A toaster could have killed my son and his wife and his 5 children.  A plugged in toaster.  If you read this....please unplug your small appliances when you are not using them.  I have. 

Chaos.  I remember that as being the aftermath of my fire and it certainly was for this one.  The boys stayed here for a few days.  Dealing with insurance.  Buying new clothes.  Dealing with somebody else in your home touching your stuff.  Hard.  Life changing.

Jesus says he can bring out the beauty from our ashes.  I am who I am partly because I went through fire.  I wonder what amazing things He is going to do from these ashes.  God loves to surprise.  I patiently wait.

Thank you Jesus for saving my kids and grandkids.  Things can be replaced.  Stuff is just stuff.  They are my heart and I am so greatful that you protected them.