A Woman's Touch

Written by Jessica Gerald


A Woman’s Touch

My elderly aunt had to be inrepparttar hospital for an extended time. When I went to pick up my uncle, I glanced around their house. I could tell she hadn’t been there for a few days. He washed dishes and straightened up a little, but it just wasn’trepparttar 138304 same.

The Bible tells women to “look well torepparttar 138305 ways of their households”. I’m not underminingrepparttar 138306 jobs of men, because they are certainly important. But when it comes torepparttar 138307 home, there’s nothing like a woman’s touch.

The Storm

Written by Joyce C. Lock


Once, as a child, we were dead center (or so it seemed) of a really severe electrical storm; with sounds so loudrepparttar affect was a bit more like explosions on our nerves. Though, thankfully, allrepparttar 138303 family was home; family couldn't even have kept us safe.

We gathered aroundrepparttar 138304 kitchen table, praying first then trying to find ways to entertain each other so as to distract from allrepparttar 138305 noise. And, of course, everything withinrepparttar 138306 house had been turned off and unplugged, exceptrepparttar 138307 kitchen light and a radio; as it was just that bad a storm. Then finally, mom got up, went over byrepparttar 138308 sink, and unpluggedrepparttar 138309 radio, too; asrepparttar 138310 lightning was too close to takerepparttar 138311 chance of leaving it on. Perhaps that was our clue, lighting was near to striking.

Then, with every boom, there was a moment of silence; listening to determine if a tree would be falling onrepparttar 138312 house or whatever else might happen next. And, no matter how we tried to ignore all that noise, we couldn't help but jump whenrepparttar 138313 sound seemed like a megaphone blaring in our little kitchen.

None-the-less, when lightning finally did strike our house,repparttar 138314 thunder must have been as loud as if we were sitting inrepparttar 138315 very cloud that had made all that noise. There wasn't anyone left but what was at a nervous jitter and, of course,repparttar 138316 baby cried.

Then came what one might have thought to berepparttar 138317 most important moment of silence ... listening ... listening ... l i s t e n i n g. But, nothing horrible happened. We heard it. We saw it. The lightning went right by our heads, but nothing. Where did it go?

We were immediately hushed as Dad leftrepparttar 138318 table to research what damagerepparttar 138319 lightning might have caused. Only by now,repparttar 138320 silence was that we dare not make another sound untilrepparttar 138321 verdict had been determined. Though it was a bit difficult, we knew this was potentially serious and we children managed to continue shaking quietly.

But still, it was a bit of a mystery as all there was, just pastrepparttar 138322 kitchen, was a small utility area; a furnace, a hot water heater, a washer and a dryer ... and all appeared to be in working order. So, dad scannedrepparttar 138323 room further. There was some metal shelving with a few things onrepparttar 138324 shelf, a metal tool box (not hot) with all tools appearing to be in tact, and an ironing board and iron ... andrepparttar 138325 iron hadn't even been plugged in. That's about all that was inrepparttar 138326 room, unless you want to count dad's work shoes. So, what, now?

I'm pretty sure, by this time, dad was calling upon some Heavenly discernment, as he decided to scanrepparttar 138327 room one last time. He scannedrepparttar 138328 floor,repparttar 138329 curtain rod,repparttar 138330 ceiling light, switch plates. "What could he be missing?" "The walls, maybe it went throughrepparttar 138331 wall. Look for a hole or something inrepparttar 138332 wall."

He looked and looked, then ... there, he saw it;repparttar 138333 electrical box. Oh, my! Just barely a few feet from where we were sitting, lightning had come throughrepparttar 138334 house and stuckrepparttar 138335 electrical box. Onrepparttar 138336 outside cover ofrepparttar 138337 box, one ofrepparttar 138338 four screws had been burned out; which was barely an inch from electrical power.

Next, dad testedrepparttar 138339 box itself, to be certain it wasn't hot or having electrical current running throughrepparttar 138340 metal cover. Then, once he concluded it might be safe to open, he did and it was determined that all electrical wiring remained in tact. Shew! That was it? Lightning only hit one little screw? Now, what arerepparttar 138341 odds of that?

Thoughrepparttar 138342 storm didn't stop right away, parents reasoned that, for God to protect us from something as close as that, we could be assured we'd be safe throughrepparttar 138343 rest of this storm. Then, mom turnedrepparttar 138344 radio back on and left us childrenrepparttar 138345 option to leaverepparttar 138346 table, whenever we felt comfortable to do so.

While having never been amidst such an extreme electrical storm since, God already knew this early experience would prove beneficial to me as an adult.

________________

As it happened, for twenty years, we lived in a small rural community surrounded by miles and miles of farming flatland. And, as we were located, it was quite common for our house to be slammed with 50 mph winds and sometimes greater; whether those winds included rain, snow, hail, ice, blizzard, or debris. And thoughrepparttar 138347 older windows had been storm window covered, glazed, caulked, stuffed, drapery and blind covered, and once even blanket covered to slow downrepparttar 138348 effect, it would sound as if every next slam againstrepparttar 138349 house would berepparttar 138350 one that caused windows to pop out or break.

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