Lightning Strikes and Christmas Miracles

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

For the most part, Chicago has been spared from the serious storms that have hit portions of the country. We have also been having a warm December--it got up to 60 degrees F yesterday! Most days haven't been that warm--40's and 50's, but it's all relative. To a Chicagoan, that's warm for December. This also means we won't have a "White Christmas," but I'm fine with that. A light dusting of snow is lovely on Christmas Eve, but here in Chicago snow rarely comes in light dustings. Precipitation either arrives as rain if it's above freezing, or as enough snow to cause hassles for people who are try to drive for the holidays.

Yesterday morning, some heavy rain with thunder and lightning passed over my house. The rain wasn't terrible, and I paid no attention until I heard an incredibly loud boom and all my lights went out. I also heard a strange sound, so I looked outside. Apparently lightning struck a power line in the rear of the house next to mine, and the power line fell to the ground right next to my neighbor's garage. I called 911, and the fire dept was there within minutes. (I'm lucky to live about 3 blocks away from the fire station.) Since it was an electrical fire, they couldn't do anything dramatic with fire hoses. Soon after that, the electric company arrived, and between the electric company and the fire fighters, the fire was put out. (I have no idea exactly what they did, because I was told by both the fire and electric company personnel to go inside my house and stay there.)

A couple of miracles here. First, the fire apparently did very little damage to my neighbor's garage. And, because the garage is detached from the house, and is located at the back of the lot, the house was never in danger. And, there was no car in the garage.

Bigger miracle for me--If the lightning had struck about 15 feet to the East, it would have hit a power pole that is in the rear corner of my yard. The power pole doesn't just have power lines, but all kinds of electrical equipment, that, I confess, I don't understand, only that it is important. Or, if lightning had struck about 30 feet to the East, it would have hit my garage, where I keep my car.

But, thanks to St. Joseph, my house was never in danger from the lightning strike. For awhile, there were five electric company trucks in the street in front of my house. I have no idea what they specifically did, but my electricity was restored in only about four hours. And, because it was 60 degrees F outside, it didn't matter that my house had no heat. (I have a gas boiler, but it requires electricity to start up.)

They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place, but it has already struck homes close to mine twice in the time I have lived in my home. (The last time it hit the third-story attic of the house three doors down. There was damage, but no one was hurt. Lightning is very strange. The houses on my street are surrounded by lots of trees much taller than the houses, but the lightning has chosen to strike at spots closer to the ground.)

So, even though I am once again spending Christmas completely alone (partly by choice), God and St. Joseph have reminded me that even though I am invisible to most of the world, they are still watching over me.

[Maggyie]

You were kept on your toes this Christmas! With an assist from St Joe. It might be worth it to get some sort of grounding equipment for your house? A merry and blessed Christmas Iggy!

PS here in Cleveland I believe we got the same storm a few hours later! A wild one.