Wednesday was almost like every other day, things got done and some things were left undone, you know you don’t have to do everything when you are at the four score level.  Bill and I sitting at the supper table eating what, I don’t remember, but I do remember what was loud and clear that night.

There was an obvious lightning strike. It was loud and clear as if right in our midst. And come to find out it was right in our midst.

And, folks, it is scary when it hits among you!

We went out trying to determine what was hit. Son Frank drove up from the shop about 500 yards behind the house (he had felt a strong shock that far away) and called to our attention that one of our outbuildings had smoke coming out from under it. And, yes, further looking determined that the building had small fire in it. Frank took care of that immediately and we began to try to determine what else may be a victim of the lightning.

After searching out the power failures, we began running drop cords to the well pump and to the deep freeze and for some lights in the space that is an office for us. When we built the office space we put it on a separate line and meter, why I don’t remember but at this point it saved us some problems.

What fries with lightning? Of course, all of this electronic stuff … TV, telephones, fax machines and freezers. My computer was saved because several years ago I got tired of losing computers to the power surges and bought a sizable battery backup with a substantial surge protector.

The outcome of it all is that we are replacing these electronics and the freezer, wiring in the outbuildings will have to be replaced. But this is minor to what might have been. Our house is an old house built primarily from heart pine (what lighter knots are made of). We would have seen probably a full loss if the house had been hit and caught fire as it would have burned quickly and thoroughly. The next morning paper had a front page picture of a house that burned from being struck by lightning. Made us think hard about our experience.

But we don’t dwell on what might have been, we have lived too long to think about those things that might have been, “if.”

I said to Bill, “the Lord was surely looking after us.” He replied, “He may be sending us a message.”  My reply is, “message received loud and clear.”  Someone said that Lord looks after fools, drunks and babies. Can I add old folks? One never knows what the next day or hour may bring.