90-Year-Old Woman Loses Everything in House Fire Except for Bible She Owned for 75 Years
Do you know what you would save in a fire? Granted that all loved ones are safe from the flames, I think plenty of us have one or two things we’d want to take with us if we could.
For some people, it might be irreplaceable photographs. For others, perhaps a doll from childhood or a keepsake piece of jewelry passed down through the generations.
For 90-year-old Marion Shelton of Virginia, one book is more precious to her than any other — a Bible she’s held on to for 75 years.
When Shelton’s trailer caught fire, she told WSET-TV she “didn’t know what was happening.” Her struggle to survive was soon followed by the realization that her home was destroyed.
Marion Shelton’s house caught on fire, and her 75-year-old Bible was one of the few things first responders were able to save:https://t.co/SdIIdek1Bt
— Hannah McComsey (@HannahMcComsey) June 4, 2019
“I was trying to get out because I couldn’t get no breath,” Shelton said.
Thankfully, the terrified woman made it out alive with the help of her nephew, Billy Hardy.
“Flames were roughly 5, 6 feet tall and glass was breaking,” Hardy said.
Shelton escaped the fire with her life, but everything else was gone. In the end, Shelton had a single wish — that she could hold her old Bible in her arms once again.
Shelton has read the tome 18 times over the years, WSET reported. It is clearly something very precious to her, which is why Brosville Fire and Rescue made an effort to retrieve it.
“Brosville Fire and Rescue assisted with a trailer fire this afternoon,” the organization wrote on Facebook. “This 90 year old lady lost everything she had due to the fire. She didn’t mind though, because we saved the bible she has had for over 75 years!”
“She was very happy about it and was actually in tears,” Amber Stowe, a volunteer with Brosville Fire, told WSET. “She’s our new granny.”
Though Shelton has lost so much, the smile on her face with that Bible held against her chest is a symbol of joy and hope.
This isn’t the first time a Bible has survived such devastation. We’ve also seen stories of crosses withstanding smoke and flames.
Whether you believe in miracles or not, there is something to be said when these precious symbols of faith are unharmed by a fire. Please pray for Marion Shelton as she moves forward following the loss of her home.
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