3 YEARS AGO TODAY

Three years ago today I was sitting in the truck with HH, in the freezing cold, standing guard over our house that had caught fire. The kids were at HH's mom's house and we were just sitting back taking it all in. I alluded to it here, but today I want to give you, as Paul Harvey would say... The rest of the story.
First - Jesus Christ saved our lives. Let's establish that from the get go. Okay let's go now.
We had stoked up the old fireplace the night before as it was bitterly cold. The boys were in bed, HH shut down the fireplace and to bed we went. Our bedroom is located at the back, while the men children's room is next door to the living room (where the fireplace is located). Due to heating issues in our house, we had pulled the door to our room to, not shutting it all the way, in case a man child needed us.
I remember waking up from a groggy sleep to some annoying beeping sound. You know, the kind where you think it is a dream, so you roll over and go back to sleep, which is exactly what I did. However, it would not go away. Finally, after an exasperated "What is that?", I got up and opened the door from our room to track it down.
When I stepped in to the kitchen, smoke was over the ceiling. I stepped around in to the living room, where I saw a glowing the wall about 5 feet up - not where the fireplace is supposed to be. Our lone smoke alarm, which had not been checked in a very long time, was going off.
Before I continue you need to know one tiny fact. At this time in my life I was taking anti-anxiety meds. The reason why is a long story that has to do with a very prideful girl and a God who was gracious enough to knock her on her butt. However, being on anti- anxiety meds, well it REALLY mellowed me out. R-E-A-L-L-Y!
So I casually call back to HH. "HH the house is on fire", then proceed to the boys room. Again smoke is all over the ceiling and I can hear the fire rolling over the ceiling in the boys room. I begin to ever so gently wake the boys, "Boys we need to get up, the house is one fire. Boys, boys...". By that time HH has raced in to the bedroom. He yanks MC1 up by the arm, over the dresser and heads outside, while screaming at me "COME ON!".
We get the boys safely into the car. I run back in for the bills, HH goes for something but I can't remember what, and we try to go out the back door. The lock is frozen so I run, well probably just walked fast, out the front door. HH gets the lock open and goes out the back. He calls the fire department and his mom. In the decade+ we have been married I have never seem HH cry. I did not that night either, but apparently he did.
I back the car away from the house and call my parents and my friend Casey. Then we waited. One lone fire fighter shows up first. He begins putting the fire out. They remove HH's lone deer mount before it gets damaged. When they open the garage, smoke billows out like you see in the movies. Mom-in-law and family rush over, and then we watch and wait. The volunteer firefighters did an amazing job saving our house.
We received texts and calls all morning checking on us. HH called Cory and he came over to help. Then he and his wife did an amazing thing...they opened their home to us. The home they just bought and moved into 2 weeks before. So that night , me and my 3 men children moved into their back bedroom where we lived for four months.
Casey washed clothes for us, as did others.
Cory's mom brought food and sleeping bags for the boys, which they have this very day.
Our church family took up an collection for us that blew our minds.
At the end of the day we had a roof over our head and friends and family by our side. December 1 will always be an Ebenezer stone for me. I know God Himself brought us safely through.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;

hither by thy help I'm come;

and I hope, by thy good pleasure,

safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

interposed His precious blood.