Oh No!

Ok, this story is a bit embarrassing. One evening this past summer, when we were living with our friends, we had the house to ourselves, while our friends attended an evening baseball game.

We decided to do something simple for supper. We cooked up some frozen pizzas using this countertop pizza maker they had. We also were mesmerized by this NAT Geo show featuring a very rare and bizarre disease that caused growths all over this guys face. It was disturbing and fascinating at the same time. Suddenly, smoke alarms went off in the house. The pizza was flaming and the kitchen was filled with smoke. We grabbed the pizza maker and headed out the patio door with it. Apparently I hadn’t set it up correctly and the pizza was not able to turn under the heating element. Therefore a triangular section of pizza was flaming, while the remainder was still frozen. We opened every conceivable door and window that we could. We searched the house for fans and set them up in front of open doorways. After about an hour the smoke was no longer visible . . .but you know the smell was still there. And luckily the bugs and mosquitoes didn’t seem to invade the house.

Man did we feel like idiots when our friends arrived home! It’s bad enough that we lost our house to a fire, but we certainly didn’t want to endanger them by living there. Thankfully they took it in stride and with humor. Talk about adrenaline rush/panic attack hearing smoke alarms and seeing flames and smoke.

Reflections

I was asked to write about our house fire experience in the women’s newsletter publication of my church. I found it challenging to tell my story in concise form, trying to blend so many strong feelings and realizations into one writing. So instead, I shared how I was impacted by the experience. Following is the writing I submitted.

I have experienced God’s hand of protection. It was obvious to all of us as a family. We all experienced God’s protection in our lives whether aware of it or not, but this was on such a big scale. This was in the midst of the very dangerous and powerful force of fire. This was realizing that without Gods protection and timing, we all could easily have been killed. It was God that woke us up in the middle of the night, not smoke detectors, not loud noises. It was God’s timing that saved us from being engulfed in smoke and flames just minutes after our exit. We didn’t lose a family member or even a pet. We didn’t lose our photos. All of the most precious and important things we hold dear were saved. I call them my 3 P’s . . .my people, my pets & my pictures. This may sound strange, but there is a certain exhilaration of experiencing God’s protection in an event like this, as awful as it was.

Isaiah 43:2-3
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

Possessions are a burden. We experienced a type of freedom, through this fire. I don’t’ know if I can adequately explain this. Maybe you need to live and experience this to understand. Have you ever watched an episode of “Hoarders”? They try to help people who have come under the sickness of hoarding possessions. These people live in filth and squalor because they cling to things and possessions. Or think of someone who lives a life dedicated to missions. Possessions and stuff are of little value to them. There was a certain freeing that took place for us. So when we found our new house and started the process of acquiring possessions, it was especially conflicting for my husband. We sort of questioned whether we were supposed to return to the normal life style. We have learned that things are just things. They are not “who” we are. They don’t define us or control us.

Matthew 6:19-21 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I have learned to trust God. This is also a faith thing. I never thought of myself as having a large portion of faith. I could relate to Thomas wanting to touch the scars and see for himself before allowing himself to fully believe that Jesus was alive again. But when you experience something on this scale first hand, how can you not gain faith and trust? This is something that will stay with me forever . . . . at least that is my prayer.

Psalm 9:9-10 9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
"Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world" 1 John 4:4

I can let go of trying to control my life. God’s ways are best for me. I can trust Him and what He has set before me for my life. Worrying and trying to predict my life is not really honoring to God. It is not always to my benefit to know what my future holds! A house fire for instance. What is important is that I trust Him and depend on Him as I go through life in all circumstances.

Matthew 6:25-27 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

I need to always be thankful and aware of His love and blessings. Everyday God touches our lives in special ways. Are we paying attention? Do we go back to thank Him or are we more like the nine lepers that didn’t return after they were healed?

Psalm 9:1-21 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

I need to be ready to obey. Why should I fight His will in my life? Hasn’t He proved Himself trustworthy? Have I forgotten so quickly the miracles and the blessings? What does He have planned for me? I pray that my answer will be, “Yes, Lord.”

God has the power to redeem our circumstances and turn tragedy into blessing in ways we could never imagine. A friend of mine asked, “How can you talk about the fire as a blessing?” Well that is a story I am excited to tell, but not a short story with a quick answer. God was preparing us in the months leading up to the fire. My husband and I were experiencing a renewal and hunger for scripture and learning. We may have responded differently had we not been prepared. He spared all of us from traumatic effects. He moved us into a wonderful and comforting experience living with friends over the summer. (The healing of that important friendship is another separate story in itself.) He provided us with a beautiful new home beyond my expectations. It is a wonderful blessing. He changed our hearts and made us stronger in our faith and trust in Him. He blessed us financially, because of this fire.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV

Good Medicine - Part 2

The morning of our house fire, I remembered that I was scheduled to fly out to Portland with my mom and two sisters in roughly three days. Another realization to take in, besides my house burning down, that I would miss something I was really looking forward to.

I was surprised when my husband mentioned that he thought it would still be good for me to go on this trip. Our life had been turned upside down in a few short hours. I wasn’t sure about leaving my family in such an important time. But John assured me that it would probably be the best thing for me. And he was definitely right. But it was quite a sacrifice for him to have me gone, and I really appreciated his generosity to me, thinking of what was good for me, even if not good for him.

I worked hard to cover as many details as I could in a few short days. My cell phone just rang and rang. And I was not functioning at my best not having slept for any length of time for several days and dealing with the trauma of the fire. But that Wednesday morning I was meeting up with my mom and sisters and flying to Portland. I requested to use the single ticket so I could have some quiet time. I was too overwhelmed to make conversation and needed time to think and relax. I started a list on a note pad. Story ideas of things that happened in the house fire experience. I had 10 to 15 ideas pop into my mind. I started writing out some of my stories.

When my sister picked us up at the airport it was very sweet. She was so excited to have us all visit. She had been obsessively planning fun activities for our stay. Everyday was something fun and significant. We enjoyed spending time with her children and husband and adorable grandson. We ate wonderful food . . . several times a day. My sister is an exceptional cook. We took naps. We laughed! Oh my, how we laughed! And you must know that my family has a very boisterous way of laughing. So having so many of us together all laughing at the same time, could make quite a scene. And we did. One of us laughed so hard that she peed her pants in public! I won’t say who.

By the second night, I was sleeping again. Such a sweet thing to sleep in peace. Such a healing experience to be surrounded by my sisters and my mom. Oh, how fondly we remember this time together.

Good Medicine - Part 3

During my “sister trip” we had the wonderful and beautiful experience of traveling through the Columbia River Gorge. It was fabulous. I was shocked to see the road sign marking an exit for Multnomah Falls.

I had recently read the book “The Shack” and remembered how this location played into the story. The falls were incredibly breathtaking. The time we spent there was very therapeutic for me.


God, again, had a sound track playing in my mind, a song I had been especially drawn to. Travelers Song by the band Future of Forestry, which has a dream like, lucid quality. The lyrics urged me to stay and have a drink of time and take with me what lasts forever. Drinking in the unbelievable beauty of God’s creation in the company of my sisters, in the presence of God . . . how wonderful was that! Every time I hear this song, it brings me back to that place and the sights and travels of that day and that wonderful week of my life. We stopped at 3 or 4 smaller falls along this same historic highway.


We drove all the way up to Crown Point and toured the Vista House as well. We stopped in this really cute gift shop and had a wonderful lunch together. What a great day. Good, good medicine.

Good Medicine - Part 1

This past year, my sisters and I made a plan, something new we had never done before. I come from a large family. I have 3 sisters and two brothers. One of my sisters lives a considerable distance away in Portland, OR. Because of this, we don’t get to see her very often. At my distant sister’s urging, we began a plan to travel to Portland for a visit . . . a sister outing. My mom and her sisters had been practicing this tradition for as long as I can remember. The picture with this blog, taken around 1980, is from a sister outing of my mom & my aunts. When I mentioned the idea to my mother she immediately said, “I’ll go!” Well that was all it took to set things in motion. Shortly after, my oldest sister, who lives a Mennonite lifestyle, was being urged by her husband to make this trip. My husband asked me if I had prayed about this trip and if I was sure that I should be going. I felt that the reaction of my mother and older sister were confirmation for me. I had the responsibility of booking the airline tickets. I wasn’t finding any great deals really. I prayed for help in finding a good deal on tickets. Within an hour of the conversation I ran an additional search for tickets and this time came up with a fare of $200 roundtrip, including taxes and fees. I booked the trip for the first week of June. I also checked my email. My daily devotional of scripture reading was a perfect fit, and one of my favorites.

Matthew 7: 7-8
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door (of the plane!) will be opened.