A Georgia family lost practically everything in a recent house fire, though one item was miraculously unscathed in the blaze: a Bible.
When the fire broke out, Carol and Phil Reese had their niece Rachel living with them in Brunswick, Georgia, while she attended college. Family friend Stephanie Levy told WTLV-TV that Carol Reece recently woke up after hearing a loud noise and discovered that the back porch was on fire.
Unfortunately, the entire home went up in flames, destroying the family’s belongings and claiming the lives of three cats and a dog.
Considering the tragic circumstance and the home’s complete destruction, Rachel was reportedly stunned when firefighters discovered her Bible in the wreckage, which was charred but largely intact. What made the situation a bit more shocking is that the other books surrounding the Bible, which was situated on Rachel’s dresser, were completely burned.
“The firefighter recovered it. It was in her room,” Levy told WTLV-TV of the Bible. “He showed it to her. She was amazed by that … she was very moved by that.”
Levy said that Rachel is hoping the incident — and the Bible in particular — will enable her to encourage others.
“She told me she feels that it was a way for God to get a message out from her to other people,” Levy said. “To touch other people that she is hoping she could do that.”
The Reese family isn’t quite ready to speak out, as they cope with the stunning loss. But they believe the fire was caused by electrical issues. An investigation into the matter is ongoing.
A GoFundMe set up by Levy has raised over $4,500 to help bring in money for the family in their time of need.
And one final note: Though Rachel did not speak with media on-camera, she did send WLTV-TV her favorite Bible verse in the midst of this difficult life circumstance: Job 1:21-22, which reads, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”