February 20, 2026, the 51st day of 2026
Five Years Later
Some moments are etched into our soul and alters the very fabric of our existence.... View MoreFebruary 20, 2026, the 51st day of 2026
Five Years Later
Some moments are etched into our soul and alters the very fabric of our existence.
Some of them are wonderful and glorious, like salvation, marriage and the birth of a child.
Some are horrendous, devastating and their scars run ragged and deep.
I have had both kinds. No matter what kind they are, they are unique to the person we were then and they have a part in forming the person we were afterwards.
How we view the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful impacts our future going forward.
Five years ago today our house burned down. All of our human family was saved, but all the furry and feathered ones perished of smoke inhalation, even the ones my daughter crawled back in for.
They were all loved and losing them all together, in such a way, was horrible. I can't think of it without shuttering.
That my children made it out safely, despite the way the fire moved and tore through the basement beneath them, flames licking at the floor under their feet, was a miracle.
The twisted metal beam revealed just how hot it had been.
That they did not suffer any damage to their lungs, or the frigid cold harm them while they stood outside in their pajamas, was a miracle. It was -20° F. The fire department took note of the temperature.
I thank God for the safety of my family, amidst the loss of everything else. God worked miraculously to get them awake and out. There was great loss, but also miracles upon miracles.
The gratitude of their salvation in the midst of such a raging furnace fills me again, as I recall it now.
The terror and then relief mingled in me as I learned the details from my daughter, as she spoke to me over the phone in heart-broken sobs.
The call had startled me awake at the pre-dawn hour, at the home of some friends I was helping.
For years, if we had to call instead of text, we would start the conversation with, "everything is okay" before saying anything else. For quite a while the sound of a phone call felt like it pierced my heart again.
God heals, but certain events leave deep scars. It has been woven into the tapestry of our lives, but it stands out in stark details, along with the sudden death of my beloved husband 5 years and 3 months earlier.
We had to adjust. It has not been easy. But we go on in the strength of the Lord and our faith in Him. Daily we see His hand at work.
Stay strong! Don't let the bad that comes chase out the good that is.
NAN
