Friday, July 26, 2019

Who Could Ask For Anything More?


Psalm 77:18
Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

(The event described here occurs last Saturday evening.)

We've been enjoying pleasant and generous rains off and on for four days now.  Such a blessing to the thirsty earth!  Yes, there is thunder in the distance, yet no serious storm has yet to materialize.  But nothing, and I mean nothing, can prepare us for the ear-splitting, ion-charged blitz of simultaneous lightning and thunder that we later learn strikes two towering pines in our own too-close-for-comfort backyard!







And in a twinkling, >POOF< goes the internet!  (Why our electricity doesn't follow suit will forever be a mystery.)  We are right in the middle of viewing a favorite program via computer when all is lost.  Naturally, we are frustrated, but oh, so much more than this, we are shaken to the core by the electrical vibes permeating our bodies.  What a disconcerting and alarming sensation this is!  It's as if every cell in our beings is on reset, and in desperate need of renewal and reaffirmation.  Praying to God is, for me, the immediate move!

Once we sense we are in recovery, my husband, Danny, contacts our internet provider via phone.  The advice to reset our router is useless.  We than decide to play several rounds of backgammon to pass the time before he gives our provider another shout-out.  The courteous woman who answers the phone tells Danny he will be on a brief hold.  Brief???  Are you kidding?  Danny is still waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

When he finally gets through to a helpful human being, the answer is, even though we have Comcast Business Class, we won't be back on line before Tuesday.  What?  Wait a minute!  You people can't work faster that this?  Our contract promises we are guaranteed to be up and running within three hours of the outage.  What's up with that???

Hmm . . .

I guess an act of God supersedes whatever promises a company can make.

And just maybe, that's something all of us should ponder.

After all, who is large and in charge?  What idols draw us away from the realization that we are connected to God, always and everywhere, no internet required?

Yes, a powerful lesson is learned, and the omnipotent, omniscient Father whom we serve is the source of all wisdom, love and grace.

And for us, miraculously in light (no pun intended) of what has transpired, He is our faithful protector and shelter in the storm.

Could we ask for anything more?

I don't think so!

Amen!

30 comments:

  1. First of all, Praise God that no one was hurt when lightning hit those trees and no great damage done to property.

    Yes, God protects us every day from many ills and troubles that we do not even think of or imagine. I am grateful that you are all well, Martha.

    It is frustrating when things go wrong and, like in your case, your Internet does not work. Hopefully all will be fixed and well again soon. Glad to see you are posting again. I hesitated whether to write you to check all was OK when you did not post. I decided to wait a bit and pray instead.

    God bless.

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  2. I'm so thankful for your prayers, Victor! Yes, it was a stressful time, but we are so grateful that the damage wasn't any worse than it was. The fact that the trees were absolutely soaked when that lightning struck probably averted what could have been a horrid disaster. All thanks be to God!
    Love and blessings!

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  3. I certainly understand your frustration. It drives me crazy when I lost the internet or have tech problems. What a first world problem, right? And a lesson in patient - or a growing realization how little I have LOL.

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    1. Being without technology IS so frustrating, Jean. But as you say here, it's a first world problem. We should always be thankful that we have it at all! And yes, this incident did try our patience, but I'm grateful the damage wasn't worse.
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Oh my goodness, that is so scary! Praise God no one was seriously hurt. Hope your electronics are up and running soon!

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    1. Terri, we did get the internet back last Tuesday afternoon; I just decided to hold off on posting the blog until Friday. Yes, it was VERY scary at the time, and we are so happy no worse damage occurred.
      Love and blessings!

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  5. Martha, Glad you are back online. It's funny how nature can teach us that an act of God supersedes whatever promises a company (or any human) can make.
    Great lesson.

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    1. Absolutely, Beckie! An act from God can certainly put us back on our knees with humility and thankfulness. This event did that for us, that's for sure! We are feeling so thankful for the day to day things we've learned to take for granted.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. Great analogy. Great story. I totally understand the frustration and fully grasp the lesson learned!

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    1. So gratified that this lesson spoke to you, Carol, and that you loved the analogy. There is so much we take for granted, isn't there? To say it another way, we "don't know what we've got 'til it's gone."
      Love and blessings!

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  7. Martha, What an adventure you and Danny experienced. I'm so thankful that the damage done was so minimal. Yes, our phones/internet connections are rather fragile, as is our electrical grid. The smallest of things (not to mention the big things!) can cause a "collapse".

    On the bright side, we can always be connected to God--He doesn't disconnect on us; we, however, disconnect on Him.

    Love and blessings!

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    1. Yes, Kim, it is we who disconnect from God, and never the other way around. I've often considered how vulnerable our country is to the dismantling of our electrical grid, and pray that no nefarious country or organization will ever figure out how to take that down. Even in small chunks, that would spell disaster for so many. May God ever protect us and guide us!
      Love and blessings!

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  8. Glad you and Danny were unhurt and your house is still standing. What a weird feeling to feel "buzzed." Isn't it interesting we don't believe in God but we call things "acts of God." I'd rather play backgammon any day than watch TV. Hope he beat you...I mean, I hope you beat him.

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    1. Backgammon? Oh, I "fried" Danny the other night, but that is the anomaly, Bill! And yes, even those who say they don't believe in God will call things like lightning strikes His acts. Come again? Maybe belief has to come before blame?
      Anyway, I know God protected us during this time that could have been absolutely devastating. And we are profoundly grateful.
      Love and blessings!

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  9. Wow, that's awfully close. I've a serious respect (OK, fear) of lightning. More so, now that I read where a young man was killed on Clearwater Beach -- a former favorite hang-out.
    Wonderful lesson you've shared. Something, I think, every reader can take to his/her core.

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    1. Yes, Mevely, it was way too close for comfort! We are so grateful that the internet was all we lost during this close encounter of the lightning kind. And it's so sad to hear of someone being killed in a lightning strike . . . said a prayer for the family of the young man killed by a wanton bolt.
      So glad this lesson spoke to your heart!
      Love and blessings!

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  10. Those lightning strikes must have been startling! I love a good thunderstorm, but don't think we ever had any lightning strikes so close to our house. Glad no one was hurt and your house is still standing. God sometimes needs to get our attention!

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    1. Well, Laurie, if God needed my attention, He certainly won with this episode! Yikes! My husband and my brother both share your affinity for a good storm, but this was beyond the pale, even for Danny. Too close for comfort. We're just thankful to be back on line and running (yes, pun intended).
      Love and blessings!

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  11. No matter what ... He is our shelter in the storm. Amen! Thanks, Martha!

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    1. Oh, yes, God is exactly that, Deb! Praising Him for all the good things He has done for all of us.
      Love and blessings!

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  12. GREAT POST. I find it very helpful to occasionally unplug from it all!
    Blessings, My Friend!

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    1. It is helpful to unplug,Loralu, and I've done so on multiple occasions. Just not desired when you would really rather be in touch with others. Still praising God for His saving grace in this instance!
      Love and blessings!

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  13. No internet required to connect with Him! Loved that!
    Blessings to you.
    Beth

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    1. Absolutely, Beth! And our connection with God is the best one we could ever have.
      Love and blessings!

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  14. I am glad you are both good and only the Internet was impacted.
    There are some days I hope for the Internet to go out. I know, however, the inconvenience it would quickly become. I love the perspective you present...

    "I guess an act of God supersedes whatever promises a company can make."

    Definitely something I need to be reminded of when promises made cannot be delivered.

    Thanks for another great post!

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post, Ryan, and that this line stood out to you. Sometimes, we do need to hold the promises made by others lightly; yet we know that God will never, ever go back on His promises!
      Love and blessings!

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  15. Wow! So thankful the trees weren't knocked down on your house! And the internet...I know, we are so attached to it these days, even one hour seems like too much time to be away. Especially because for us it also means no TV, no phones, well, we do have our cell phone now...but so much revolves around the internet. Yes, it is good to sit back and reevaluate that connection now and then, and reconnect with our TRUE power source, God Almighty, Jesus, The Light of the World. Enjoy your unplugged time. It's not all bad...

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    1. Pamela, I'm so thankful for that, too! Danny took the lack of internet much harder than I did; I've never seen him that antsy! Lol! Anyway, we had our cell phones and could surf the web and watch some television, so all was not lost. Still, I'm so grateful for God's ever-present connection with us - the best one there is!
      Love and blessings!

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  16. Oh, my! That sounds so terrifying! Praise God, you are both safe, and I am so thankful for the spiritual good you gleaned and shared with us here. Many blessings to you, my friend. :)

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    1. Believe me, Cheryl, it was!!! We are so grateful to God, though, that things weren't worse.
      Love and blessings!

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