Crisis: Coming Home to a Fire!

I often heard the sounds of sirens as they screamed down the streets. I‘ve heard the engines roar with the sound of, “I am on my way to serve you.” I’ve pulled over so they could make it to the home that is ablaze or to provide medical assistance to someone who is critically ill or has been involved in a life-threatening accident. Yes, those big red trucks carry the men and women of the Omaha Fire Department, and I have always applauded them and the work they do.

But, on May 14th, I had a personal reason to applaud the Omaha Fire Department.
As with the personnel of the Fire Department, I have also applauded the heroic volunteer efforts of the women and men of the Red Cross. They respond to disasters (in this case a fire) at all times of the day and night and work with a family to provide housing, clothing, food and other essentials during a crisis.

We (Idalene and I) were out of the city enjoying some much needed time away and time together. We were enjoying the city of Boston, clam chowder, the tea party, Bunker Hill and Paul Revere, and learning to say car “Boston style”. Then, the phone rang but it was nothing to be concerned about as it was the middle of the afternoon and Idalene gets alot of phone calls. It was Jamise! I didn’t hear the usual banter between mom and daughter. I heard Idalene ask, “Is everyone OK?” “What happened? “ “Is it that bad?” In between the questions and answers, she tells me the kitchen caught on fire. No one was hurt. It is bad. The fire department was called. Ocean, our granddaughter, is fine.

WOW, there was a sinking feeling in my pit, my stomach, the place where love, happiness, joy, fear and sadness live. A sigh of relief, our children are not injured. But a fire has happened, and we are hundreds of miles away and can’t be there. It was a feeling of helplessness. We wanted to see, or did we? Idalene asked me, “Do you think it is bad?” Am I an optimist? I responded, “Probably not, it was just in the kitchen.” Hmm, little did I know.

When we drove into the garage, the smoke, that overpowering, chest hurting, make-you-cough smoke met us and overwhelmed us. It was all over the house. I wanted to walk away; my legs were frozen. I didn’t want to look, but my eyes wouldn’t close. I walked in and looked; it was worse than I thought. The smoke made things worse.

We hugged our daughter. We are thankful to God that neither she nor Ocean was hurt. We prayed, “God, we are thankful for safety and for fast thinking. We are thankful for fire department, emergency responders and insurance.”

After a few hours of sharing with friends, which will be in the next blog, we went to bed. I have to preach the next day. The title of the sermon, which we have been advertising for several weeks as a part of sermon series, “Finding Christ in the Midst of Your Crisis” Does this count as a crisis?

Blessings….
Pastor William

You can respond to me at wwilliams@rockbrookumc.com