My Sister’s Home Almost Burned Down

My Sister’s Home Almost Burned Down

Almost every Saturday, Ken and I walk along the beach and then have breakfast at a place near the water. My parents meet us most of the time. Yesterday, my mom wasn’t feeling up to it but my dad said he’d meet us there. When we were on the way to the beach, my dad called and told me he wasn’t going to make it. He said he was going over to my sister’s house because it was on fire! Ken and I immediately drove over there to see make sure everyone was okay.

It happened to be during the Santa Ana windy time here in Southern California where humidity is about 7% and we haven’t had rain for many months. There have been a lot of fires down here the past week as most of you know. When we drove up her street, there were probably fifteen fire trucks for one house on fire! The reason was because of the weather conditions and their home backed up to a canyon with very dry brush.

The fireplace is what started the fire and burned down some of her home. Thankfully, it wasn’t during the night since no smoke detectors went off. The damage is pretty extensive as you can see from this picture.

Why am I telling you this? Well, this post was going around Facebook. This is how many people actually believe today. If you aren’t happy in a marriage and it’s a difficult marriage, get out.

My sister’s home isn’t a tragedy. She is still married for 30 years to the husband of her youth. She has one happily married daughter who is pregnant with her second baby and two other amazing sons. She loves Jesus deeply. All of these are her treasures. She is rich in what counts and her house will be fixed over time. Yes, they may have to live with someone else for a time and rent the home across the street while her home is rebuilt but it’s all fixable. The first thing she said to me when I saw her yesterday; “It’s all just stuff.” My sisters and I have always held fairly loosely to the stuff of this world.

Divorce is a tragedy. It tears apart one flesh and isn’t fixable (unless there is repentance and restoration of the marriage before either have remarried). This is why God hates divorce and to say it’s not a tragedy is a lie from the pit of hell because Satan loves divorce and the destruction it causes. Children are scarred for life.

My mom, sisters, and all of our husbands were there yesterday and had a good time together. My sister was even able to laugh in spite of the circumstances. Whenever we all get together, there is always a lot of laughter and joy. All of our children are doing well. They are secure in who they are in Christ and grew up in homes with their mother and father. We are blessed.

Don’t believe the lies of our culture. My parents stayed in an unhappy marriage and now they are madly in love with each other. Ken and I were not in a happy marriage but now we love each other deeply. We all benefited from my parents staying together and so do our children and grandchildren . They see generations of couples staying married until death do they part. There’s not much of a better legacy, besides loving and living for Jesus, that you can leave to your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:19-21

21 thoughts on “My Sister’s Home Almost Burned Down

  1. I am so sorry about your sisters house, but the positive attitude that shines from this post makes it one of my favorites! Every word you have written is true. A good marriage is the foundation of every great family. Nothing brings a child more security than being from an intact home. I have been happily married for 45 years and know that my marriage has probably impacted my grown children, more than anything else. It is a legacy!

  2. It’s hard to believe that someone said divorce is not a tragedy. Just ask the children. I am 50 and my parents divorced when I was 4. It has affected me my entire life. My mother moved on and remarried immediately while me and my brother were left sad and confused. My side of the family has been broken ever since . I gravitate towards my husbands family because his parents are still married and I have that sense of family that I have longed for since I was a child.

    Has my marriage always been happy? No. But me and my husband are committed to each other and our children and would never break that apart. We stuck it out and are now more in love with each other than we were when first married. Thank You for your blog Lori, I look forward to each new post. I am so glad that your sister and her family are OK and will keep them in my prayers.

  3. Wow Tia, very presumptuous. You should be ashamed of yourself. You could of posed it politely as a question. Not fly at her with accusations and show your true colours.

  4. Lori, please know that your sister and her family are in my prayers. Our home flooded during Hurricane Harvey, and we had to move in with my parents. Interestingly, my mom had to have a total knee replacement, so I am able to help her and my dad during this time. Even though the things we lost were just stuff, it has still been stressful going through everything and overseeing the repair work. I praise God that everyone is okay and that no one was hurt in the fire. Please keep us posted on how your sister is doing so we can all be praying as specifically as possible.

  5. Thank you, Debbie. Yes, it’s definitely going to be stressful for them. They didn’t even have clothes to wear to church today so had to borrow them since all of their clothes are so filled with smoke that even after many washes, they still smell horrible. This is what is most stressful to my sister: the thought of having to buy all new clothes (none of us like to shop) and all of the decisions going into rebuilding their home.

  6. I attended public schools my entire growing up years, Helena, and then went to college and went on to get my teaching credential so I guess this proves that going to public schools and getting even more than a college education doesn’t prevent one from making mistakes or it proves these don’t educate that well.

    Thankfully, my parents taught me to be kind and not call other people names which is way more important than any education.

  7. Seriously Helena? What a fine example of a dignified adult produced by the cookie cutter public school system. Using names and bad language displays a lack of knowledge of the English language and a poor education to resort to such childish tactics. While I noted the mistakes, I understood what she meant by it. I used the smarts God gave me. If feminism proclaims that women are smarter than men, then to lack such basic understanding makes you a poor example of such a proclamation.

    Using basic manner, having respect, courtesy and understanding of others is a basic, essential tool for life. Something that those deceived by feminism and grounded in the public school system seem to largely lack. A fine example of why children should be homeschooled. And why feminism is so destructive. Good day to you.

  8. I’m glad that your sister and her family are ok. Yes, things can be replaced. <3 The fires out there are so terrible. We pray that everyone stays safe. I'll pray that the rebuild goes smoothly and that they are comfortable while it's being done.

    One thing I'm struggling with though is that you say that God hates divorce. While that may be true, I can't imagine for one minute that God would ever want someone who is in a relationship where they are being harmed physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. to stay and endure that hell. While I agree that too many people use divorce as an easy out instead of trying to work on their marriage, I do believe there are times when it is necessary, and do not believe that any loving God would condemn someone for taking care of themselves and/or their children in that way if needed.

    I think in any marriage there are struggles. I know that my grandparents, parents and even I and my husband have had ours and we're still together. But I can assure you, if there was any sort of abuse in my relationship, and the person refused to address it and/or change that behavior and it was in my best interest to get a divorce… I'd do it and not let anyone make me feel shameful by using God or anything else .

  9. Sorry to hear about your sisters home. I’m glad she is safe.

    Divorce IS a tragedy. I was talking to my father about this the other day and he said it (marriage break-ups) is one of the devil’s strongest tools. Once Satan has destroyed the marriage, he’s destroyed the family, and has a fairly good chance of winning the children.

    But it’s not even divorce that is the tragedy so much; it’s what precedes the divorce. What happened in the marriage to make divorce seem like the best option? Often, that is Satan’s most powerful, most subtle tool. Was it abuse? Infidelity? My sister and I were more affected by the infidelity in my parents marriage than we were by their subsequent separation. Children are just as hurt by witnessing abuse as the abuse victim is. Yes, divorce is tragic. But so is the sin that destroys the marriage, making divorce seem like an attractive option.

  10. You’re right, KAK. It’s all terrible but I have seen women stand for their marriages while their husbands were having affairs and win them back without the word by their godly behavior. Then the marriage is restored and so are the years that the locusts have eaten. Divorce is worse than the sins leading up to it, in my opinion, because it is final. The sins leading up to it can be repented of, forgiven, and cleansed. Divorce cannot if there has been a remarriage. All reconciliation has been prevented.

  11. Divorce is *awful*! I have always felt so glad that my parents have never divorced and neither has my husband’s parents! It is such a great witness to all of their grandchildren (and us children too!). Chris and I have been married for 17 years and the hardest part of it all is knowing we will die one day and it will separate us! I never want to live my life on this earth without him!

    I am so sorry to hear of your sister’s house! I am so glad no one was injured and that it wasn’t a complete loss! 🙂

  12. Lori I’m so thankful your sister and her husband are safe. I’m sure you are aware of the Thomas fire. We used to live in Santa Barbara and the situation is rather scary there. Anyway, I can’t believe anyone would believe divorce is not tragedy! That’s just dumb to believe such a lie!

  13. In my parents case, it was the other way around. My mother had the affair, my father is still waiting patiently for his wife to return to him. 17 years later, he is still waiting. My parents are not divorced, just separated. But yes, you are right, that is why my dad faithfully remains single.

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