Unplugging my Toaster... and Counting My Blessings

Six months ago I pulled a load of towels out of the dryer and it smelled like smoke. I checked every thing out and it looked all right.

And then I forgot about it.

Growing up my dad had three household "rules" that he was fairly serious about:

1. no flame candles in the bedrooms,

2. don't leave the dryer running when you aren't at home,

3. unplug the toaster when you are done, and certainly before you leave the house.

As a kid, I followed along and did my best to remember (if not with a secret eye roll or huff here and there.)

Now I know how very important those rules are...

Yesterday, I threw in a load of laundry into the dryer and ran upstairs to grab some shoes and brush my teeth before taking my son to the doctor. The kids were downstairs finishing up their work and getting ready to go.

Within five minutes I could smell acrid smoke that burned my nose. I ran downstairs to find my dryer was on fire.

When I opened the door a puff of smoke came out and continued to rise from the lint screen.

We unplugged it and took the clothes out, and waited to see if the smoke would stop. It did.

Then we prayed that it wouldn't re-ignite, cuz we had to leave, we couldn't miss the appointment at the orthopedic office.

When The Mister got home he pulled everything apart and this is what he found...

We're pretty sure that this has been a slow-burn, a six-month tinder... a tragedy in the making.

Honestly, I try not to run the dryer while I am out of the house, but occasionally it happens. LIke two weeks ago when I ran the kids to the pool. I left the dryer running because I was only going to be gone for 20 minutes. Never again.

We escaped and I am grateful.

So for now, this is our dryer:

And this...

I know that, "faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see"...but I do believe that every once in awhile we get the opportunity to really see.

Maybe more often than we choose.

Today I don't have to choose. Those wet clothes hanging all over the house are my memory stones.

I've been given the chance to see, and I am grateful.

The LORD is good to all; 

He has compassion on all he has made.

Psalm 145:9