We have had a mixed bag of challenges and blessings at our house lately. We have had two fires at our house...one due to lightning actually striking our house and one due to damaged connectors that were most likely damaged during the first episode and were not detected until the second episode. This has had a huge effect on our household, but through it all God has been good to us. We are all still alive and unhurt. It could have been so much worse. We lost a few appliances, our main breaker box and wiring, and some food, but we still have our house and each other. Usually with such a huge surge of high voltage, houses burn down. The electrician who had worked on our house to begin with had suggested a surge protector on the main following our recent lightning strike. If we had not gotten that surge protector installed on our main electrical box, most likely our house would have burned completely down and who knows what else could have happened. I hate to think what could have happened with a handicapped child in the house and oxygen for his use that we have to keep on hand. Before it was all said and done, there were about four fire trucks on the scene, several policemen and the electrical company sent their truck as well. My son is a fireman and he verified the very real danger of electrical fires. It was such a huge surge of power that it melted a piece of wire in our wall going to the main breaker box. The copper wire coming into our house was about one inch in diameter and it melted like a thin piece of solder. Again we are so blessed that it was not much much worse, even though the repair costs are still not all resolved. I am so thankful that no one was injured. That was a blessing. Material things can be replaced.
The disruption and difficulty that the fires caused at my home remind me of another kind of fire that many families deal with. It involves the kind of devastation left in the wake of marital discord, family problems, and divorce. It is an epidemic in our country today, but it is a staggering statistic among the families who have disabled or chronically ill members. Just when we have the greatest need for support, often it isn't there. I have recently had the privilege of writing an article for EP magazine regarding my own "saved marriage" testimony and the devastating effect that Jordan's accident has had on our family. My marriage has weathered many storms, one of which was losing our daughter, Laura Lynn in a car accident in 2001. Then in 2006, Jordan's accident occurred. Many marriages do not last through the death of a child. By the grace of God, ours has survived and we have been able to provide support for our own daughter during this time following Jordan's accident. Especially since she is divorced, she and her children needed the security that family could provide during this difficult time.
My very close friends, Mae and Erika Chambers have also written a book entitled "Can My Marriage Be Saved?" The Chambers' book is a great tool for anyone who is struggling with marital or family conflict. I am going to include three new references on Jordan's blog regarding these issues. Sometimes the pain that we all deal with isn't just the physical. Often it is also the emotional. The three new links are www.savedmarriagenetwork.com ( a marriage ministry that offers information and resources for families in need of help with marital difficulties and family crisis) and www.epmagazine.com( an online magazine of special interest for caregivers and families with special needs) and lauralynneducationalfoundation.blogspot .com (a ministry committed to teaching the critical and foundational importance of developing and maintaining a Biblical worldview. ) I believe each one of these sites offer an excellent source of helpful information and resources for families.
