Thankful Tuesdays: What lasts beyond the flames

It was past midnight yesterday when we heard a couple of "explosions".  I was getting ready for bed, while hubby was cleaning the fish tank.  He looked out of the window and smelled smoke.  10 minutes later, he looked out of the window, and there was a fire engine and half a dozen police cars parked downstairs, their lights aflashing.  People started streaming downstairs, so the hubby thought he should go down to check, and asked me to pack our important documents and cash while waiting for him.  So I quickly gathered those things up, along with our wallets... and he came back saying there was smoke, and fires, but they couldn't identify the source so we were supposed to evacuate the building just to be on the safe side.  He went to get the little boy from his room, while I used that little sliver of time to get some things for the boy in case the waiting should be extended.  We took the stairs, went down... and joined the crowd downstairs.  About 15 minutes later, we were told by the policemen that it was ok to go back up, and we saw what was the cause of the explosions and smoke.  Someone had set fire to the bicycles that were parked in the void deck...

After the whole incident, we went back, and put the boy back to sleep (Junior J had slept through most of the episode and only woke up on our way back home)... all the while feeling a little perturbed at how the evacuation was done.  There was no proper notification, and if the hubby hadn't gone down to investigate, we would have not been informed that we needed to leave the house for safety's sake... thankfully he was around, since if he was on call, me and little boy would have slept through it all.

Then I also realized that such circumstances show up what is important or essential to us.  Last night, when there was a hint of a chance that we might not get back to our home, we chose to pack our documents (oddly enough, I left my own educational certs behind while packing the hubby's), cash, passports and wallets, since these were important things that we needed.  While waiting for the hubby to get the little boy, I had chosen to fill up Junior J's water bottle, and I also packed my nursing cover.  Yes, among all things, I worried that he might be thirsty, and I thought if he was hungry or upset, I could have just nursed him.  I didn't think of grabbing any sentimental photos, or jewelry (not that I have much anyway)... but I did ask if we should bring along our camera (but we left it in the end).  It was an eye-opener to see how the threat of fire helps you to see possessions clearly as they should be... as stuff, and nothing else.

So today, we give thanks for safety, and what cannot be destroyed by the ravages of fire:

:: God's love that reaches and saves.  A Saviour that conquers the grave.

:: Family... of hearts filled with love, and helping hands...

:: Laughter... of funny moments shared, and the childish delight of racing through a fountain of water...

:: Memories, that remain imprinted in your mind, though albeit faded... while scrapbooks, photos and cameras may not last the flames...

There's so much to cherish, and so much to be thankful for.  What are you thankful for today?