A December Miracle

A December Miracle

Post by Fran Tabor

This month, just days before her only son was due home from college, the electrical wiring in my daughter’s garage shorted. The garage burnt to the ground. The intense heat from the fire blew open the windows on the garage side of the house. The downstairs wall opposite the windows held framed pictures. Where the pictures were, was a square of a different color than the rest of the fire-singed wall. No trace of frame, glass or painting could be found. The heat had totally consumed them.


Upstairs was her son’s bedroom. It, too, received a blast of heat and smoke. My daughter’s room was across a hall. A neighbor pounding on the front door woke them. She grabbed their small dog sleeping by her bed, and with her husband fled down the stairs through the heat and out the front door.


The volunteer fire department showed up in minutes. The side of the house away from the garage was saved --- more importantly, one of the volunteer firemen knew she had a house cat, found the kitty and brought her out in time.


That day my daughter learned the value of living in a small town. People brought clothes for her and her husband. A neighbor she had known only by sight asked if she needed anything. “My husband needs pants.” “I think you need pants, too.” That said, she realized her only source of modesty was the fluffy dog she carried.


Neighbors and other friends found a place for her and her husband to stay until insurance could be handled. They created a food chain so she didn’t have to worry about dinners. Someone found a car for her to borrow so she could drive to work. Her small town neighbors may have only known her to wave at her, but she was part of their community, and without asking, everyone came forward and volunteered help.


This year, I have learned our local craft exhibits are like a small-town community. We wave, say hi, help each other with problems, and face the public together. We may not know each other’s names, but the old timers look forward to seeing each other. They make us newbies feel welcome.


The friendship of community is one of God’s miracles.


For my daughter, the fire’s timing is another miracle. If the malfunctioning electrical box had ignited just a few days later – being a ticking time bomb, it could have -- she would have lost her only child. Thank goodness he was still at college.

Every Christmas we have reason to give thanks. This year, we had a special reason.

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