Kitchen fire

Last night, upon entering the house, I asked, "What's that smell?  Is someone cooking something?"  As I came down the hall into the kitchen, my 17-year-old son was kneeling on the kitchen counter, using a rag to wipe smoke off the kitchen ceiling.

The story unfolded: He had been heating vegetable oil in a frying pan on the stove to cook some tortillas.  He left the kitchen momentarily (he thought), got distracted, and returned to flames from a grease fire licking up into the air.  He got the flames extinguished, something involving a hot frying pan and a swimming pool.  By the time I arrived home, every available door and window was open, every ceiling fan was going, carpets and upholstery had been treated with Febreze and he was wiping smoke off the ceiling of the kitchen.

My first response was anger and frustration.   But, because this is my fourth son and I've learned the destructive force of unbridled anger, I held my tongue and simply gathered the facts.  Then, I went to the back of the house to gather myself together.  As I was quiet before God and myself, I stopped to realize how responsible my 17-year-old son was being--to even notice the smoke on the kitchen ceiling, much less take the trouble to wipe it off.  I also realized that there were no injuries and the only property damage was a kitchen paint job that will need redoing (but was in line to be redone this year anyway).

I also recalled a story that has haunted me for years: I walked away from a pan of bacon on the stove when that 17-year-old boy was a baby in a swing, near the kitchen.  I got distracted and returned to an extremely hot pan.  It had not yet burst into flames, but could have very easily.  I learned a lesson that day. 

I learned another lesson yesterday.  I told Andrew that story, as scary as it still is to me.  I told him, "I owe you some mercy!" I thanked him for being so responsible and reassured him that the kitchen was due for some new paint, anyway.

Let's say a big "hooray" for the lessons gleaned from God's Word and from life itself:

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But the wisdom that coms from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."
James 1:19,20; 3:13,17 (New International Version)

--Posted by Mama O.