LET THE PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING GO UP....

The AC that started it all!





As I write this, my heart is over flowing with thanksgiving for what God did for my family on the 14th of November, 2012. That day started out like any other day. As usual, hubby prayed with, and for the kids before they left for school that morning. I had not gone to the office, because I was preparing to travel for a cousin's wedding in Akwa Ibom State; hubby had gone out to work. The plan was for him to join me in AK two days later, for another wedding.  At about some minutes past ten, I asked my younger brother to drive me to my seamstress's to collect some traditional clothes that she had made for me to wear at the wedding. My plan was that, after I got the clothes, I'd come home and pack for me and my baby, who was to travel with me.



Barely 20 minutes after we drove out of my estate, I noticed that I had missed a call from one of my maids and decided to call back, wondering what the matter was. From the distress in her voice, I needed no prophet to tell me that something was seriously wrong in my home and that 'yawa don gas!' Almost in tears, she told me that the children's room was on fire!!! Fire? How? I asked, beginning to panic, and she explained that the AC in the children's room caught fire, and that she noticed it whilst trying to tidy up upstairs. She quickly shouted out to the other maid to run downstairs and change over the light to neutral, thus cutting off power supply to the house, then they alerted the neighbors. I put a call through to hubby, while I asked my brother to rush home with my car. We also alerted the security personnel at my estate and a team was sent to my house to join forces with the neighbors who were already fighting the inferno with the fire extinguishers that we had in the house; but I was told that the smoke upstairs was so thick that nobody could climb upstairs, so the fire had to be battled from downstairs!



Black ash covered everywhere upstairs!





My daughter's bed, partially burnt.





You can gauge my state of mind by now, as I waited impatiently at my seamstress's for any update on the fire. Then my maid called again that the fire was still raging, despite all the efforts been made to kill it, and at that point, I told my seamstress that I needed to run home. She asked how I was going to get to the house, as my brother had rushed home with the car, and I told her that I will hop on a motorbike- I did not care the mode of transportation, I just needed to get home, and fast. As I hurried away to the road to flag down a motor bike to my estate, I called home again, and was told that my children's room was no more. At that point, I nearly lost it; as I spoke with my sister on the phone, and my mum, I was weeping, because I was not sure what state I'd meet my home, or whether the men who were fighting the fire would be able to bring it under control. If anyone had told me that I'd be walking down a busy road crying into a phone, I would have laughed, because I'm usually so controlled, so calm, so together, but not this time!!! I got a bike that took me to my estate gate, and from there, the guards there, after assuring me that a team were at my home, got a resident, who was driving in, to take me home.

I did not know what to expect, really, but by the time I got to my house, I met a crowd of people, armed with canisters of fire extinguishers, including the estate Security Manager, and CSO. Strangely enough, I became calm but from what I could see from downstairs, it had been a bad one. Everyone assured me that the fire was under control, and I mustered courage to climb upstairs to see what had become of the children's room. The acrid smell of smoke hung heavily in the air, and stung my eyes as I looked round; everywhere upstairs, including my room was covered in black ash from the fire. As I looked at my children's room, at the things that had gotten burnt in the fire, a whole cabinet of clothes, school uniforms, a bed, toys and so on, I just began to bless God for His mercies. The people that came around, all said it was a miracle that the fire had not burnt the whole house down. Two competent electricians later, the fire was attributed to a power surge, which caused the AC to catch fire.



The whole ceiling had become darkened by the ash







I wanted to cancel my trip, but my hubby  urged me  not to, that he'd deal with the mess. I reluctantly left for the airport, and a cleaning company was called in to wash the whole house; we got people to paint the whole house as well, as the black ash had stained everything stain-able. Hubby put the kids in a hotel, while the workers washed, cleaned, and painted. Two days later, he came to meet me where I was, and as we reminisced over what could have been, I wept again at the weight of what we had just been delivered from, and offered thanks giving to God. If that fire had happened hours earlier, in the night when the children were still asleep, I shudder to think what that poisonous smoke could have wrought! If my maids were not upstairs at that time, cleaning up the rooms, if they had gone to the BQ, they would not have noticed that fire in time,  and the whole house would have burnt down! If that fire had gotten to the roof, hmmm, na another mata we go dey yarn o. So many 'ifs,' but all in all, I thank God for rescuing my family from being plunged into a disaster of monumental proportions/loss of lives, for preserving our home/lives; for protecting our children-the key to our next generation from losing their lives. My next door neighbor, who trades in kiddies clothes, packed a bag full of brand new clothes and brought them over for the kids and when, my brother called to tell me, I was just overwhelmed by tears at such kindness,  and at the support we got from our office staff, and neighbors! Can a Savior do/be more than that to His children? I'd be most ungrateful if I did not thank Him openly like this. Yes, it's been a most painful experience, but God has been there all the way. Hubby was not too comfortable about my sharing this, because he felt that, not everybody would genuinely be happy for us, and that I should only share on a need-to-know-basis, but I told him that God had done a MIGHTY thing for us and I'd shout it from the roof top, never mind, who was gloating, or happy about what happened.





Last night, I returned to Lagos; this morning, I called the children into our room to pray with them, explain to them why their things were gone, and lead them in thanksgiving to God for delivering us from disaster. I had been told that my 9 and 4 year old daughters wept because their school bags had been burnt in the fire, so I explained to them that anything that they had lost could be replaced, but that if life had been lost, it would be irreplaceable. I laughed a bit at their innocence  and naivety,  especially when my 4 year old asked, if her doll's life could also be replaced.



Father Lord, I am awed by the wonder of your goodness, mercies, favor, and grace and I bow in adoration, as I say, 'Thank You, Lord.' No one else can do the things you do for us, and I return all praise and thanksgiving to you. Please join me to thank God for my family. May God preserve your lives and the lives of your family members.You shall not end this year in sorrow.