Gas Ovens and Guardian Angels

I’d like to tell you the story of how I caused an explosion and nearly burned my face off. There is, always, always something with me. I think I’d be more worried if something wasn’t a little off kilter in my life!

Last night, I decided that I would make some chicken casserole. So, my friend and I cut the veggies, boiled the chicken, made the topping - all of that stuff. So far so good. Then it came time to put that sucker in the oven. Now, my oven has been on the fritz for a few weeks now and we have to hold the button to get it to stay lit. Last night I was holding the button down while she bathed one of her girls.

I realized that I was smelling gas, so I opened the oven to find the flame had gone out. This has happened numerous times in the last few days. We just reached in, relit the thing with a match and continued holding down the button. No biggie.

Last night, when I did that there was this huge bang (people came outside to see what had happened) and this big fireball came rolling out of the oven. Of course, my face was down close to the flame because I had been trying to relight the oven.

My friend came running in the kitchen and I kept asking her, “Am I burned? Am I burned?”

At first she said no - and I guess I’m not really burned that badly. But upon closer inspection, my hairline is singed, my left eyebrow looks like it was waxed too closely, and my right eyebrow is just gone! My eyelashes have been falling out, so I’m not sure how long they’ll stay or how many will stay. The skin on my forehead is peeling. My chin and neck are pretty tender, as well as my cheeks and nose. I look like I got a bad sunburn. I think I must have swallowed some hot gas or something, too, because I’m on a cold-things only diet. Anything hot is just too much for my throat!

All that said.......it’s really not too bad. It could have been so much worse. If my hair had been down and not in a pony tail, I think it would have been worse (take note mom! For once in my life aren’t you glad I like pony tails? ;0)

Anyhow I just can’t tell you how completely grateful I am to have my face. It may not be the best looking mug ever, but I’m kind of attached to it, and I’m so thankful I don’t look like Freddy Krueger.

There are so many things to be thankful for today. First of all, my friends older daughter wasn’t anywhere near the oven. Usually she is right there peeking in, so I’m so thankful that she wasn’t last night. That would have been horrible.

I’m so thankful that my burns are not worse. 

I’m so thankful my hair was in a pony tail.

I’m so thankful my eyes weren’t burned. I’m thankful for my sight.

Without trying to be too dramatic (some of you will find that hard to imagine), I really think that I was saved from something much worse last night.

There are times in our lives when we just know that our guardian angels - or Jesus himself - protected us in a real tangible way. Sometimes, we don’t always get the protection we want. I think sometimes, like Job, Jesus allows stuff that we don’t like very much to pass through his hands to us.

Then sometimes I think Satan comes calling and Jesus says, “No way. Not tonight. Not like this.” I think last night was one of those times.

In our humanity that can only see the good in good things, we need to learn to be grateful for both. I’m not sure I would be so grateful if I was blind or had a horribly scarred face. I’m sure I’d have a lot of questions and I’d feel somewhat betrayed.

But, I’m trying to learn to be grateful in all things. God is good. That’s a statement. God is not only good when He sends good things our way. God is good. That’s not a compound sentence. There is no “but” or “and” in that sentence.

God is good.

So, as I sit here tonight, I’m thankful to Jesus and a little bit sorry for the angels that got assigned to keep me from “dashing my foot against a stone.” I’m quite sure they’ve asked for reassignment a couple of times already! 

I am so thankful for my Protector. So glad there’s someone stronger, more compassionate, and more loving than the evil one who has come to kill, steal, and destroy.

I’m so, so thankful for the One who came to give abundant life