Day 5: The Practical Church
Today (Saturday) was the day we pulled the rest of our belongings from our home. With the help of family, friends, and a ministry called Men with Trucks, everything was removed and placed into a donated storage unit within 2 hours. EVERYTHING. I could hardly believe how fast it went. These guys did not mess around.
Today I am thankful for people who put their hands & feet (and backs and arms and legs) behind their faith and meet practical needs. For those who gave of their time and energy to move us, and for those who offered to take our waterlogged and smoke-smelling laundry, linens and other items and wash them for us, for those who donated a storage space for our things, and for those who have opened their home to us while we are looking for a new home, we are thankful.
Day 6: Miracles
Yesterday after we got everything out, I finally took a little time to really look around at the property and fully take in what happened this past Tuesday. We lived in a heavily wooded area of Central Texas, and if you are even remotely familiar with the record drought and wildfires our area has suffered this year, you understand why there was an immediate and serious concern about the flames jumping from the building to nearby trees. Once everyone was safely out of the building, David had a cell phone in one hand calling 9-1-1 and a garden hose in the other trying to prevent that very thing from happening. By the time we were all outside, the flames had actually already reached the trees, but I started praying, and miraculously, the fire did not spread through the trees.
This photo (one of many) shows green branches actually touching the burned, charred remains of the apartment directly above ours. The wood is charred and black, and the leaves are green and untouched by the flames.
Yesterday as we walked around the building and really looked at the damage, someone asked me why I thought the trees were not burned that close to the burning building. I said simply, “God.”
There is no other explanation.
