It was a typical Monday morn in the home of a young couple waking up for the day, with the mom up first before the family, making coffee to bring to the husband laying inbed yet, trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep before hitting the shower and getting ready for the day.The mom woke up the kids to get them ready for their day of school and after school activites.........they all went about their pretty normal routine of eating breakfast and getting ready to leave the house for the day. The dad taking the three boys off to school and the mom heading to daycare with the little girl and then heading off to work. No one realized when they shut the door that day that it would be their last day to live in what they called their home, where memories and laughter and tears were there to make this their home together, where friends and family had spent many times enjoying each other. .

The phone call comes that their house is on fire, they rush to get there only to be stopped by the sheriff with orders they cannot go near their house. They are left to stand down the road that leads to their house, the place they made their home the last few years, their "dream" house on their farm, and watch as smoke rolls out of it. Friends come and cry with them as they watch in horror as strangers, who are fireman, carry out some of their valuables, all the while them screaming inside this is my house why can't I go and help, why do I have to stand and watch, why do I have to be so helpless and stopped from going there.

After what seems to be an eternity, they are allowed to go into their home for a few brief moments and in numbness and shock find the little pink blankie of the daughter, some hockey equipment. Walking up the stairs and turning to the right they see their childrens bedrooms mostly in ashes, a wall completely gone and very little resembling the bedrooms where only hours earlier their children had been asleep. It is a moment that stops in time! How can your mind register what could have been had this happened during the night? The whole upstairs where the family had slept, where the childrens toys had been and clothes had hung in their closets are gone!

The night unfolds as a blur and doesn't seem real, how can it be real? How can this happen? People are called, prayers are said, tears are shed! The call goes out and people respond in love and giving. This is a story that is about our son Sean and his wife Kathy, and their children (our beloved grandchildren) Logan, Hunter, Austin and Grace. Their house caught on fire from what they believe could possibly be from the fish tank in Hunter and Austins bedroom.

Where was God in this? Right there we believe. Watching over what was important in their lives.......each other. We thank God for His mercy, for no one being in the home when this happened. That right now though many of the temporary, earthly things they had are gone, that not a hair on their heads were harmed! That tonight as friends opened up their homes to them to stay, businesses brought meals, friends and even strangers gathered and brought clothes to them, they all are together safely.

The blessings continue to pour out to them, with so many people reaching out and giving of what they have to them. Sean does this for a living, he cleans and restores homes that have had a fire, and yet he said he was never prepared for what happened that day. We are very thankful to God for being their protector, for hearing the many prayers throughout the years we have prayed for our family and their protection as they go about their days.


This is an email Seans Mom sent out it tugged at my heart so much I just wanted to share it with all of you.