The Fire

The Fire

by Marlene Ellingson

     I must have been about 13 or 14 years old when one day I was making no-bake cookies on the stove. A fire started in the pan of oil, and thinking, “Fire--Water,” I quickly dumped water into the pan, which of course made the fire burst out larger. Screaming, I ran out and Dad came in and grabbed the pan, taking it outside to put out the fire. It was all very traumatic for a young girl, and I felt bad, but got over it quick enough. I was vaguely aware that Dad had gotten hurt somehow, since he wore suspenders instead of belts for a time, and Sister Charlotte Wiehrdt came over to help him treat the burn. Still, when I talked to Dad about it, apologizing for my foolishness, he just expressed praise and thanks to the Lord for preserving his hands, which received no injury, since he needed his hands to do dental work each day. And praise to the Lord for sending an angel like Sister Wiehrdt to help him through the long healing process.

     It wasn’t until many years later, when thinking back on the incident, that I put two and two together and realized, I was that cause of some intense suffering for Dad. Also, there must have been an insurance claim and repairs in the kitchen of the smoke damage that surely occurred—but I have little or no memory of that either. What is the miracle to me is that Dad and Mom never made me feel guilty! They didn’t blame or lecture or even associate any of this trial as being my fault, which it was. Instead, leaving my self-esteem in tact, at a tender age, they disassociated the burn with a careless young girl who should have known better. Nor did they discourage me from cooking, but quite the contrary. What amazing parents, to absorb the emotion of the pain and trial, and let the mistake just be forgotten. They let only praise for the goodness of the Lord be remembered.

     My parents lived this counsel that the prophet gave us Sunday:
"We must be careful that we do not destroy another person's confidence through careless words or actions." Thomas S. Monson