Evening of Flashing Lights

Yesterday began as a "normal" day. It started with Staff Prayer Chapel.  We split into 4 groups and went on a prayer walk praying for the local schools, neighborhoods, families, and spiritually.  Next I had a meeting. Then we got ready for K-2 club.  The evening closed with Liz and I having dinner and watching some Bones episodes.  I crawled into bed around midnight exhausted, but my mind still running up a storm.  I lay in bed praying and wrestling through some different things.  Finally I drifted off probably around 12:30am

Next thing I know I groggily wake up.  Aware of noises from outside but not yet comprehending what they are. Looking at the clock I find it is only 1:15am.  That is when I really see the flashing emergency lights in the room from outside.  I become a little more awake to find a police vehicle out front of our house and a fire engine behind it, otherwise the street looks quiet. At this point I'm awake but my mind is still not quite up to speed.  A little quicker I move into the living room and look out the front windows.  At this point the police vehicle looks like it is leaving and that is when I see another fire engine pulling down the street.  They were just moving to make more room.  Then I see the police officers on the sidewalk, speaking with the firefighters, and shining their lights up at our house.  Nothing is making sense.  "Why are the police looking at our house?  Why is the fire department here too?" 

At this point Liz walks out of her room, in a daze, "What is going on? I thought I was dreaming at first." We still can't tell what is going on but at this point there are three fire engines out front and the police are still looking around our place and the neighbors out front.  Then we hear over a loud radio something about the back.  That is when two, of the four officers, go into the back yard of our neighbor.  This neighbor has a Jr. High kid who comes to ICI.  At this point I go down the stairs to the front porch to try and figure out what is going on.  Shortly after I came out tenants of the first floor in our building came out too.  He asks, "What the --- is going on?" 

"I don't know. No one has said anything to me yet," I replied. Then Liz walked out too.  We stood on the porch several more minutes watching.  A police officer was on the porch of our neighbor's house talking to the mom while a firefighter goes into the house with his axe and another tool.  After a couple minutes the police officer came over and informed us there had been a small electrical fire on the back porch of our neighbors, it was out, but they wanted to make sure another one wouldn't start.

We went back into the house.  I hadn't spoken with our neighbor and figured I would show my support, they have had a tough year with one thing after another, so I put on my slippers and go over to their front porch.  The two kids, 13 and 18 years old, are out front with their mom.  Once I was there I knew  I was very much welcome and was not going to be in the way.  I took 2 of the dogs from their mom, so she would be free to do whatever she needed to, and stood on the porch visiting with the kids while each held a dog too (they have four dogs).

That was the evening of the flashing lights.  It still seems kind of surreal.  We saw God answer prayer last night.  The dawn could have sprung very differently.  If it hadn't been spotted, or quick action, God only knows what would have happened.  God's hand of protection was evident.