By now, many of you probably know that my parents' house was hit by lightning and caught fire a couple of weeks ago. It has been a traumatic and devastating event for my family. There are no words to describe such a sudden and unexpected loss. Certainly, it could not compare with losing a loved one, but to find yourself suddenly displaced with almost none of your belongings or clothes, is a life-altering circumstance.
Thank God my parents were home when it happened, for certainly if it the lightning had hit either when they were asleep in the night, or not home, the house and all of their belongings would have been totally destroyed. As it stands, the fire was put out quickly thanks to my mom's quick thinking and the immediate response by the fire department. (Blessings to those men who worked tirelessly in the rain and lightning to stop it.) But, the damage by the smoke from the fire and the water is extensive.
Immediately after the fire was put out, we attempted to retrieve some items, some of which were in the attic. I cannot even describe to you how bad the smoke was. My eyes immediately started stinging and pouring water from the heaviness of the smoke. Every item in the house reeked of smoke - clothes, furniture, papers and pictures. It all STUNK. Looking around I became overwhelmed very quickly with the task of figuring out the best plan of action. I knew I was in over my head and I made two fast calls to friends from church: "I need help" was all that I said.
Within less than an hour, more than 50 people - men, women, youth, kids, from my church showed up to help. And they showed up with coolers, boxes, trucks, and trailers. These selfless people worked in the heat and the stench to completely pack and empty my parents' house of 25 years within about 2-3 hours! They packed an entire house that fast! It's one thing to plan on moving and packing when you have some notice, you acquire boxes and packing materials, and you know WHERE to which you are moving. This was not the case at all. When I was close to a breakdown moment, one friend suggested a storage building was needed. And he took care of it.
Another friend made sure everyone, workers and my family, was fed dinner. Many other people showed up with water and Gatorade. Another brought clean pajamas and necessities for my parents to have to sleep in that night. Some packed, some lifted, and some organized. People came, they served, and they met needs.
I hate that everything revolved around loss and stress, but my parents and I have never been so blessed to witness the body of Christ at work. The response was overwhelming. From food and material items, to physical work, gift cards, and rebuilding help, the love of Christ was poured out like an expensive perfume from an alabaster jar on my family. It reminds me of the story of Daniel and his friends in the fiery furnace. They stood the test of their faith, and when Nebuchadnezzar released them from the fire, Daniel 3:27 says,"...no smell of fire had come upon them."
That was First Baptist Church, Brunswick. We are not perfect because we are a body made up of human beings, but on August 10, 2014, as bad as the house they were working in and the belongings that they were packing smelled like smoke, there was no smell of fire to be found on those who served out of love. Instead, their service was much more like a fragrant offering drifting up to the Lord above.
With much gratitude and love,
Pam
