Special thanks to Susan for the graphic
I’ve wanted to share this post with you for a while – ever since January when I got my local newspaper and read a story about a house burning down in our county. Sadly, the family lost everything. But when they went back to sift through the burned remains of their home, amazingly enough they found five Bibles unscathed by the fire. One of the Bibles was still in a gift box. The cover of the box had burned but not the Bible.
The reason I’ve wanted to share that with you is that in my book, Along a Storied Trail, one of my characters, the cantankerous but yet lovable Perdita Sweet has a similar experience. In that story, her house burns down and when my book woman character, Tansy, goes back to the house to see what she can salvage for Aunt Perdie, she discovers her Bible that is a little scorched but intact in the ashes. When I first thought about using that in my story, I went online to do a little research. I wanted to see if that could even be possible. As it turns out, it is not only possible but happens often. One account of a fire I read said the Bible was actually open on a table and still survived the flames.
My book, Along a Storied Trail, came out for readers last summer. The account in my local newspaper was months after that, but reading how that family’s Bibles survived the fire seemed to prove that indeed what I had written about Aunt Perdie’s Bible was very possible and believable.
Here’s a short excerpt from the book about where Perdita is looking at the surviving Bible that is even more special to her since it was her mother’s Bible before it was hers.
Perdita had come out so early to have some of that alone time to look at her Bible. She picked it up and settled down in the rocking chair. A fine wonder, it was. Coming practically unscorched through the fire Tansy said left nothing but rubble and her iron teakettle. Pedita glanced at the teakettle on the hearth. It would need a good cleaning before it was useful for anything. But the Bible was useful right now.
She ran her hands over the cover imagining the heat that must have bounced off it. The Lord had protected his Word the way he’d protected that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Of course, the good Lord had marched around in that fire with those believing men. She felt another smile coming on when she thought about the Lord putting his mighty hand over her Bible in the cabin fire.
The enduring Word of the Lord. Not that his Word wouldn’t endure just the same even if this Bible was naught but ash, but that it lay warm in her lap was a gift.
I hope if you haven’t gotten to know Perdita Sweet in my story, that you will give Along a Storied Trail a try. I loved bringing her to life in my story.
Have you ever had to go through the tragedy of a house fire? Whether you have or haven’t, what do you think would be the saddest loss among your possessions?
While I do think you will love getting to know Perdita in my packhorse librarian book, Along a Storied Trail, I also hope you will be excited to meet my characters in my upcoming release, When the Meadow Blooms. The book is available for pre-order at most internet book sites. You can find buy links on my book page. I can’t wait to hear what you think about my new people, Calla, Sienna, Rose and Dirk.
As always, thanks for reading.
Comments 10
Shortly after I was married, my army husband and I were sent to FT Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. A large portion of our personal belongings were stored in my mother’s house. My wedding gown, my hope chest extras, and all of the pictures were all lost in a fire around Easter of 1977. Thankfully, no one was home so the only loss was material. Pictures have always seemed very important to me because of that. They’re that proof that a life was lived, people loved, and beauty was experienced. The worst part of the experience for my mom was that forever after she’d go to find some kitchen tool or craft thing that was from before the fire only to realize that she no longer had that item. It’s kind of haunting at times.
Author
I hadn’t thought about it being haunting, Cindy Sue, but I can understand the thought behind that. The “Oh yeah, that’s gone” feeling each time one remembers something they had. I guess those who suffer catastrophic tornado losses can feel that way too. So sorry you lost your wedding memories and pictures.
We can look back at pictures and relive so many things and know our past. My sisters and I were talking about some old family portraits not long ago. Pictures of our grandparents and great grandparents. Some of them we never knew, but the pictures are, as you say, proof of a life lived.
As a nine year old little girl,our house burned down nine days after Christmas.My most prized possession that I lost was my Mrs.Beasley doll.Mama and Daddy replaced it but it was never the same.
On.the other hand Mama lost a lot of family pictures that were irreplaceable. Her Daddy had already passed so we ended up with only 1 picture of him that survived.
The great part is there was 10 of us in the house and we all got out safely.
It was January 3rd 1975 and people came from all over the county to help us rebuild.We moved into our new house on April 3rd that same year.
Author
Sometimes blessings come out of tragedies, Lisa. You found out about the love of neighbors and friends. But I know your mother was sad over losing her pictures.
You must have already made an attachment with that first Mrs. Beasley doll. I gave my daughter one of those. I hid it upstairs in our old farmhouse and when I went to get it to put it under the tree, she wouldn’t talk. I was so upset, but by morning warmed by the fire downstairs, Mrs. Beasley could talk again. 🙂
I’ve never experienced a house fire. But, I have known people who have had house fires and lost everything. Unfortunatley, one person lost their life in a fire. Heartbreaking. I would not want to lose photographs and letters written by family members. I would not want to lose the Bibles that have been passed on from generation to generation.
Author
All those things are among the irreplaceable, Melissa. And yes, it is heartbreaking when people don’t make it out of the burning houses. In the fire I mention where the Bibles were untouched by the flames, the man who lived there was awakened by his dog. He got out, but the dog didn’t. He did try to go back for the dog, but the smoke was too thick. So sad.
I also know of my ex husband cousin whose house burned and the Bible was intact on the burnt coffee table. Amazing the Word of God remains to give hope in a hopeless situation. Hugs
Author
These stories just amaze me, Lucy. It lets us know that we can expect miracles, that perhaps miracles do occur around us all the time but we don’t notice. But when a Bible comes through a fire then we notice.
Thankfully, I have never lost items in a fire; however, my father-in-law did and recounts how the loss of all the family photos was a heartbreak. Thanks for the reminder that our God walked in the midst of a fire and is a consuming fire! And our hearts burn within us when we see the power of God in our circumstances.
Am looking forward to your new book, awaiting a balm that it will be to my soul. I love your books!
Author
I think most people think of their photos as some of the irreplaceable things a fire can steal from us, Amy. Especially the old pictures. Now we have thousands of digital pictures which can be recovered after a loss.
I do hope you will enjoy my story when you get to read it. I appreciate having you as a reader of my books.