The Home was Fully Engulfed
In the middle of the night the beautiful home of my friend and client burned yesterday… while they were all home and sleeping. Miraculously they all made it out alive along with their two dogs. Tragically they lost their two precious cats and everything inside of their home. They got out only with the clothes on their backs.
Standing in front of the remains brought back the memories of my own home fire five years before and all the loss, heartache and headache that followed. The difference is that we were NOT inside my home at the time—we were on Christmas vacation. Brenda was inside, at home, asleep with her kids. As I stared at their remains of their homes, especially of the open space of burned out upstairs where the hours before the teens were sleeping in three different bedrooms, now completely gone, I stood in utter awe of God’s mercy that they got out alive—that their alarm went off loud enough to wake all 4 of them out of sound sleep in the midst of fully engulfed flames and 3 teens were able to rush down stairs and get out alive.
God is good even in the midst of tragedy. Lives were spared—absolutely what matters most. Today begins the process of picking up the pieces, desperately trying to remember and itemize what was lost for insurance their claim, finding a place to live, buying clothes, toiletries, shoes, a myriad of unending details and yes, mourning the great loss.
No one ever expects their home to burn. I didn’t and Brenda didn’t. But it happened.
Here are 5 takeaways:
Check your own insurance policy today and make sure your coverage for contents and rebuilding is actually enough.
TODAY, don’t delay, take panorama photos of every room in your house and save copies in several places so you can get to them in case of fire to remember what you had. It is so very hard to remember every items you had when it is gone.
Hug your family and make sure they know you love them.
If you know my friend Brenda you can help by giving gift cards –Visa cards, department stores or local restaurants. Receiving gift cards from friends was such an overwhelming blessing to MY family in the first days after the fire—we needed everything as well. My neighbors—some I didn’t even know—got together and purchased replacements of my kids favorite toys as well. That brought such tears to my eyes.
Write out a gratitude list of your blessings right now, no matter what challenges you are facing. No matter your circumstances there are always blessings at the same time.
