Fire!

God is merciful...may His name be praised...

Was getting ready for Great Vespers--Audra and Hope were staying home, of course--when Hope started getting fussy. It was pacifier time, and none was within reach. I knew where we had left one: out in the car, which was in the garage. I open the door to the garage and am met with flames. I had, just the night before, burnt some old bills in the BBQ grill, and had doused the ashes with water before throwing them out. Apparently some had missed my detection, as they had apparently started this (thankfully) small, trash fire. I acted quickly, yelling for Audra and Hope to get out now, there's a f---ing fire in the garage, then began to spray from the sink's sprayer into the garage. This only doused part of the flames; the rest I put out, bucket-brigade style, with pots full of water. Audra called the Fire Dept. from the neighbor's house, and they came (after the fire was out--like I said, it was small) and made sure nothing else was at risk. They told me to wait for about an hour and keep an eye on some sheet rock the fire had been up against. Said sheet rock, I assure you all, has been doused thoroughly and repeatedly by one paranoid Yours Truly. So my wife and daughter have gone out to eat with the family--she needed to get out of here, while I couldn't leave until I felt things were safe--and I'm posting this while waiting to see on the sheet rock.

It has been a CUH-RAZY couple of weeks, ladies and gentlemen. First, there's a little person in our lives, now a situation that, had one of many factors not fallen into place, may have let the fire go undetected until much later...maybe too late. What if I had actually heard Audra say the pacifier wasn't in the car? She told me later that, for once, she's GLAD I didn't hear what she'd said (sound familiar, ladies?). Also, I may not have taken the car to Vespers; I would have probably taken the truck, which is out in the driveway.

A prayer, very meaningful to me, and on the heels of which comes this post:

Almighty and merciful God, I most humbly and heartily thank Thy divine majesty for Thy longingkindness and tender mercies, that Thou hast heard my humble prayer, and graciously vouchsafed to deliver us from our trouble and misery. Grant us, I beseech Thee, Thy helping grace, that we may obediently walk in Thy holy commandments, and lead a sober, righteous and godly life, ever remembering Thy mercies, and the blessings Thou has bestowed upon us, undeserved though we be, that we may continually offer to Thee the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.