Anniversary Scares

Yesterday, January 22nd, was my parents (Buz & Barb Cliffe's) 41st wedding anniversary...and one they won't soon forget. They had decided to have a relaxing evening in with a fire in the fireplace, dinner & a rented movie. All was well when they went to bed, but when my dad got up at 3:00am (a habit mom & I used to nag at him about, but never will again), he found the living room full of smoke. They called the fire department & apparently, there was a crack in some part of the chimney & a spark was smoldering somewhere in the wall. Thankfully, mom & dad had enough time to clear everything off of the mantle & away from the fireplace before the firemen came. By the time the fire crew left, they thought all was well. Until an hour later, when mom heard a noise in the wall & looked up the chimney to see flames.

The firemen came back, but by this time, what had just been smoldering sparks were now flames that did a lot more destruction to the house. Aside from being filled with smoke mom, dad & all their stuff were okay - Thank you, Jesus!! But apparently, the house is in pretty bad shape & unable to be lived in. The insurance company is taking care of cleaning or replacing everything, and while they do, they are putting mom & dad up in a hotel where they may need to live for up to 2 months. Ug. Fortunately, they found a place where they have a small suite with a living room & kitchen, so they can be a little more comfy & don't have to live off of Subway & Wendy's for the next 2 months...but I still can't imagine it's very fun.

Please pray for my parents as they go through this tough time. I can't imagine the scare of knowing that your house could have burned down with you in it...but I guess we're all just that vulnerable. Praise God we can trust in His protection! If you're in their area & want to get in touch with them, you can always leave a message for them at the church - Covey Hill Baptist in Paw Paw or call my mom's cell phone. But most importantly, please join us in praying that God will give them peace during this relatively stressful time and praise Him for His protection over them!