Five boys and their father were saved by a good samaritan as an explosion rocked their world. Sometimes, God doesn’t prevent the fires of life from coming, but He places the right people in the right place at the right time to save us. That’s precisely what happened to Tom and his five sons after a propane tank exploded and turned their world upside down.
Tom Ritchie and his boys decided to take a trip to their storage shed to grab some toys from the unit. Unbeknownst to them, a 100-pound propane tank was leaking gas. When Tom struck a lighter, the leaking gas ignited and triggered a massive explosion. The entire family was severely burned and in desperate need of immediate help.
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But God, in His infinite care, had already placed a good samaritan nearby. A neighbor who was on his way home from the store saw the explosion and rushed to the scene. “There was a fair bit of fire coming from the storage unit,” Dallas Lee said. Dallas grabbed the fire extinguisher he carried in his truck and jumped into action.
Tom told Dallas he had five children involved in the explosion, and together, they counted to ensure all five made it out. “Both of us counted out loud. You know, one, two, three, four, five to make sure we had everybody,” he said.
Tom’s wife, JacCee, is convinced God was the reason her family is still alive when a good samaritan saved them as she shared updates on Caring Bridge and their GoFundMe page. She commented, “We are 100 percent convinced God is the reason they survived the explosion, followed by the incredible response from so many in the medical field along with an army of prayer warriors.”
This tragedy is a sobering reminder that God doesn’t always shield us from hardship. But even in moments like this, He doesn’t leave us alone. He watches over us, placing people in our path to remind us of His love and care. Let’s continue to lift this family up in prayer and remember to trust God’s plan–even when the path is hard to see. His love shows up in people He places in our lives, just like He did for Tom and his boys.
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Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/KSTP 5 Eyewitness News