Beginnings

Beginnings

My husband spent several years trying to find a place for himself. It seemed he had a hole in his heart that needed filling. He tried several different things, but none of them satisfied. The Gun Club, the Archery Club, Bowling Leagues. Each one brought new skills, but left him empty.
Until he found the Volunteer Fire Department in our area.
He joined that and never looked back. Working his way up through the ranks, he eventually became Chief and has made the department the best it has ever been.

For many years, I was jealous of the fire service.

I used to call it 'Jezebel'.

Well, he spent all his free time with her, was at her beck and call. He bought things for her. If it was a human being, you would have called her the 'other woman'!

A long time I was jealous.

He asked me more than once to join with him.

I remember one time, he was starting up a rescue team. He talked to me for a long time about it, and I was beginning to think I might like the idea. Then he killed it. He wanted me, not because he thought I would be good at it, or that we would make a good team. No, he wanted me to fill in the numbers so it would pass the County Commissioners.

I flatly refused.

It wasnt until a few more years later did I decide to think about joining the department. My children were older, my marriage was on the rocks.

Tommy and I had nothing in common anymore. We were drifting apart.

I prayed about it, and God led me to join up. It would at least give us something to talk about!

I went through the training without incident, then responded to my first fire.

It was a grass fire way out in the boonies. The only boots they could find for me were six sizes too big, and I tripped every third step. I was hooked.

Now that I am in the fire service myself, I can understand why it took my husband away from me. I feel the pull to help when crisis comes. The sound of the pager going off gets my heart hammering and adrenaline flowing like nothing else.

Our marriage was saved. Oh, there have been bumps and cracks in the road, but we have continued to survive and flourish. Thank You, Lord!