The Lightning Chronicles
The Ninth of August was a day of victory! Or so we thought.
Here we were, ten days after celebrating my last Sunday as pastor of Praise & Worship, a day that was emotionally confusing to be sure. It was as if two great rivers were rushing through my heart. A mighty Missouri river of sadness flowed out of the reality we were moving away from so many loved ones, so many joyous experiences, so many moments of God's grace splashing all around in our midst by His Spirit. Alongside that river was the Colorado River. Not the often rapid-flowing, adventurous one that cuts through the Grand Canyon and the Rockies. This is the one in Texas. A more gentle river that waters crops and sustains the land. This was the other river in my heart, bringing me joy. Joy not because I was leaving, but joy because I was being sent by God and His people.
So the joy was alongside the sadness, simultaneously. A push-pull experience that was still flowing in two directions as we began the necessary work to get our house ready for sale. Many loved ones pitched in so that we could get it all ready for photos to be taken on the Ninth of August. We got done just in time for the photographer to arrive that afternoon and his photos made our house look maybe the best it ever has!
While more work would need to be done to move out, for the moment we felt the freedom to celebrate this milestone and left the house to share a celebration meal with friends. As Debbie and I returned home, with barely two miles left to drive, lightning struck! It was so bright we both had to shield our eyes! Blinking our eyes back to normal we both exclaimed, “That looks to be right where our house is!” Many trees obstructed our view so we couldn't be sure exactly where it hit and during those two remaining miles, we convinced ourselves that it just looked that way.
As we cleared the hill and the house came into view, there appeared to be smoke over the roof. But noting that the rains had just given way to returning heat, I suggested to Debbie that it might simply be steam or fog rising from the hill which was common after storms.
My son and daughter-in-law met us at the door. Slightly dazed with ears ringing, they exclaimed about what had just happened. We went inside and swapped stories. They had been on the porch watching the sky as the storm moved away when the bolt struck. Only now were we realizing how dangerous the situation must have been!
Then we began to realize there was damage. First, we noticed the WiFi was down, which led me to discover an exploded surge protector along with an exploded power supply. Multiple networking items were destroyed. We had no water because the well was hit. The garage door opener was destroyed, multiple outlets were blown, and even my most prized possession: my custom-built PC was fried. We would even later discover that the bolt had somehow arced across the driveway to Debbie's Toyota Prius, rendering her car a total loss. All of this on the eve of trying to sell our house and move to Texas.
The question exploded into my mind: "WHY O LORD?" It takes no effort to recall the image of the lightning bolt in my mind. I will remember it forever. I was as dazed as my kids who were on the porch when it happened. Why? And moreover, why did He time it for Debbie and me to see it happen? For crying out loud, when seeking to discern the will of God, “struck by lightning,” is just a little too on the nose, right?
And then there is the whole story of my Uncle Marty. But that is for another time.
Those two rivers were still pushing and pulling inside me, and now this. Was I wrong about God's plan to send us to Texas? Had I gone against God Almighty? Was I literally in the midst of destroying everything of which I was a part? I was sitting on the porch the next morning asking all of these questions in a fully bewildered state. Then a friend “just so happened” to pop up this prayer from Psalm 70:1 on social media:
Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
O LORD, make haste to help me!
I prayed it out loud. Again and again. Shouting it from the front porch not caring if neighbors heard, only caring if the Lord would hear.
He did.
The Spirit immediately began to remind me of the countless times He had delivered me and those I love. I devoured Psalm 70 and Psalm 71 like a starving man lost in the desert. Other Psalms, like 46, 77, and 97, immersed me in grace and truth. Scales fell off my eyes and I realized every one of those questions I was suddenly asking had originated not the One who is my rock and my refuge. No, these questions were smoldering up from my sin, shooting up tendrils of selfishness and doubt, all kindled by the father of lies.
The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
and burns up his adversaries all around.
His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth. —Psalm 97:1-5
Consider these facts:
The insulation did not ignite.Our kids, though within 40 feet of the strike, were unharmed.
Our dear friend, Dan Markqwardt, as he worked to trace the damage of the lightning strike, discovered that when the lightning entered the attic it singed the insulation at the point of entry, but a full fire—to be expected in that situation—did not ignite.
The strike would end up delaying our move by nearly two weeks. Both temporary and permanent housing, most notably the place of blessing where we now live in Texas, would not have been available during our previous time window.
The process of working through the insurance claims process “just so happened” to align with our needs to complete the move to Texas when it needed to happen.
All items that needed to be replaced or repaired were done swiftly enough to be ready for the family that bought our home, blessing them with many brand new items making their purchase even more valuable.
I write these words now from a position of being on the other side of the entire episode. My perspective now allows me to see how God was blessing us in the midst of this calamity. But more importantly, He wanted us to SEE it happen, so that we would know that it was never our ability, endurance, or faith that would help us make it through these challenges. Not even close.
Instead, I'm reminded of the 50 times in Ezekiel that God says: “Then you will know that I am the LORD.” Many of the times He says this in Ezekiel are in times of calamity. Some are in times of grace. But in each of those times, even though we don't know why, He is working through every kind of circumstance to move us forward according to HIS plan. Not ours.
If you ask me, “Mark, why did the lightning strike happen?” My answer will be: “I don't know, except that I know the LORD was working and has delivered us and prepared us all the more to trust Him no matter what may happen. He is God Most High. In Christ Jesus, we have become His people. He has written our names in heaven. Not because of anything we did, but because of everything He did, is doing, and well yet do. Praise be to His Name. He will do this for you as well.”
And Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan FALL LIKE LIGHTNING from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:18–20.
We are excited for what comes next. Those two rivers are still pushing and pulling in our hearts. But our trust in the Most High has increased by watching the work of His hands and experiencing His Grace, Mercy, and Peace. Whatever happens, we will tell of HIS mighty deeds. Because He is not interested in doing these things just for us, He is interested in reconciling the world to Himself. He is faithful. And He will do it. For you!