I'll take "It's Been A Long Day" for $1000 Alex

Question: What was today...


For anyone that may be on the fence on whether or not there is a God this post is proof that there is!

I am always late, a character flaw to some, but late just defines me. Like I said yesterday my Dad was scheduled to have hip replacement surgery this morning, my plans were to be at the hospital around 9- 9:30 to sit with my Mom. Peanut likes to sleep, no really like sleep, sleep, it's nothing for her to sleep until noon and she did not want to go to the hospital so I had made plans for her to go to the neighbors once she woke up and spend the day with them. Well as usual I was running late and was getting ready to kiss her goodbye at 9:50. Honey and her friend were already in the car waiting, Honey hates being late! I stopped to answer the phone when I heard the loudest noise ever shoot through the phone and saw a blaze of light in my family room, about 20' away from where I was standing. Instantly the house alarm went off and I knew that lightning had hit the house. I went to turn the alarm off, it would not turn off. The dogs are now going crazy and Peanut is standing in the hallway crying, not the best way to wake up! I start looking out back by the pool thinking it must have hit the screen enclosure that's when I smelled smoke! I started looking around when my eye was drawn up to the ceiling. The lightning had traveled through the chimney and came out the ceiling leaving behind a 3" hole.

I surprisingly remained very calm telling the girls to go to the neighbors and wait for me {of which they didn't} then I dialed 911. Three fire trucks and one police later eight men in all the get-up were scouring my house looking for any trace of fire. With their thermal sensors in hand they found heat but no fire. The Captain came down from the attic to tell me they smelled gas and had to turn it off at the curb.

GREAT!

I have to say I have often wondered what I would do when faced with an at home emergency.

Get the kids out!

Get the dogs out!

Grab the pictures!

Run.

Scream.

Cry.

I did only the first two.

Suddenly nothing mattered by my girls! NOTHING!

The only thing on my mind during those 15 minutes of not knowing what may or may not happen was my family and their safety.

Thank you God for making me late!

Had I been on time my baby would have been asleep in her bed when all of this happened. She would have been terrified all alone without a clue as to what to do!

Thank you Lord for intercepting on my behalf again and keeping me exactly where I needed to be.

I have the only things that matter tonight.

One husband watching TV.

One teen-ager waiting for her Mother to get off her laptop and leave her room and one 9 year old sleeping safely in her bed.

Oh, and three dogs at my feet glad the ear piercing alarm is off and the men in strange clothing are out if their house!

There is some damage that needs to be repaired including a gas pipe that was severed by the lightning bolt. Yes, severed! The gas company told me how lucky we were that there was no spark. OH, how close I came today to my house exploding! The thought give me the chills!

Again I can only see the hand of God all over this situation.

The TV, computer, alarm system, Internet, gas lines, AC, hole in the ceiling can all be repaired.

I find myself not only thrilled that I was home but thrilled that my house was struck by lightning this morning. This unfortunate {and expensive} experience has opened my eyes, that I sometimes squint through, to the awesomeness of our God!

Luck....God

Fate...God

Coincidence...God

I have lots of pictures and once my computer is up and running again I will be posting them.

I finally made it to the hospital around 3 and was able to see my Daddy around 4:30. He is doing fine and his eye that was scratched somehow during surgery is hurting more than his hip. Thanks for all of your emails and prayers. I appreciate it!

Enjoy your family!

Happy Tuesday...Wednesday...until I return Y'all!