Everything Has a Season

This past week our chimney caught fire.

The fire department had to be summoned to put it out.

I was standing in our driveway, wearing my boots without socks, our toddler without mittens, the baby with her snow bunting I managed to grab as we hurried out the door. For the less than five minutes it took the volunteer fire department to arrive, I stood helpless watching the metal chimney glowing bright orange atop the house... fearing the whole time it was about to spread to the roof and I'd watch everything I own in the world go up in flames.

I wouldn't even own socks.

Our house didn't burn to the ground. It didn't suffer any damage at all. We got really lucky.

The firemen showed up after those five minutes, put out the chimney fire, vented the smoke out of my house, and inspected the chimney enough to tell us it had suffered some damage (and to get a pro to come look at it). There was no water damage, no physical damage, no smoke damage. Just some dust to vacuum up- not even a muddy foot print from all the boots.

I was blown away by these professionals who came running and their only reward was keeping us safe. (Huge shout out to local volunteer fire departments- they don't get enough credit)

It's been a few days now. The shock is starting to wear off. The chimney was inspected by the local chimney sweep, the damaged parts replaced ($800), and several repeated comments on "do not burn uncured wood".

I've taken it a step further, I've burned nothing in the stove since, and I don't plan to any time soon.

God, all-knowing, knew we'd have a chimney fire this winter. He's been keeping me vigilantly awake since October, keeping watch and alert for the moment it was needed.

I was in another room, completely distracted when the fire started in the chimney. From much too far away to really hear, I heard the fire get louder and knew in my gut something was wrong.

I'm convinced God whispered in my ear in that moment "it's on fire, get out".

It wasn't our time to lose our house to fire, but it was certainly time for the wake up call.

Despite all the warnings, from the install professionals, the firemen, the operators' manual, my own father, and even myself- because I've known- despite them all we were burning the wood freshly split this summer. It's the only wood we have to burn.

But we don't need to be burning wood to heat our home. We have a regular propane furnace too- and it functions just fine. The excitement over having a cheaper heat source was enough temptation to ignore the rules- and it came with severe consequences.

Our woodstove will save a lot of heating money, but we tried to rush it. It has it's season, but it wasn't this winter. We've been taught the hard way that we are not the exception to the rules when it comes to heating our home with fire. God does things in his own time, and we mere mortals can not rush that- even if it seems tempting.

I still have all of my socks. I still have the 100+ year old family heirlooms we would have lost.
Most importantly, I still have my family. 

That first night after the fire, with no fire burning in the stove, I slept for the first time since October. Deep, restful sleep like I haven't had in months. I didn't have to keep watch anymore. I've been sleeping well ever since. We stopped fighting God's timing for things and it has brought some peace.

2023 is off to a dramatic start for us. I'm hoping the rest of the year will be much quieter. (This kind of personal drama is not how I want to accumulate blog content.)

God was watching out for us, this wasn't our season to lose everything. He even painted the sky this morning for me so I had a picture to put with this post.

I hope your 2023 is off to a better start.

Until next time,
EmmaLeigh

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8