Hailstorm

Well, I've seen a few hailstorms in my life, but I believe Thursday's tops all of them.

The day started out sunny and bright. I hadn't paid any attention to the forecast and just assumed that the day would stay that way. Around 3:00, Neil (my boss) informed me that there was a nasty storm projected to hit our area in about an hour, just the time I would be driving home.  Still, I was not overly concerned. I've seen a few storms in my lifetime and honestly, I rather enjoy a lightening and thunder display.

As I started for home, the sky was darkening and I could see threatening clouds forming. I hoped to make it home before the storm hit. I had some papers to drop off at the Eby's  (a family from church who lives near us) but that would only take me a few extra minutes. Just as I turned into their driveway, it started pouring. I sat in my car outside their house, hoping that it would let up a little so I could quickly run in. As I waited, Justin (their 10 year old son) dashed out of the house and I gladly put down my window and handed the papers over to him. About halfway out their long driveway, I heard pelting against the car, like sleet. Neil had said something about hail so I figured there must be a little bit mixed in with the rain. I thought to myself, "I guess this is going to be quite a storm." I started cautiously down River Road and suddenly, "WHAM!!" The car was being pummeled with huge balls of hail!  They hit the windshield with such force that I was certain it would shatter. I suddenly wondered if I would survive. I could hardly see anything and I should have pulled off at Tucquan Glen and waited it out, but I stubbornly kept on driving. The trees bent in the violent wind and leaves and branches hit my car along with the unrelenting hail. At this point, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to survive. I expected any second that either a tree would fall on me and the car, or the hail would come through the car roof or windshield and kill me. Believe me, I was praying as I inched along!

It seems like an eternity when you are enduring a frightening experience, but gradually I drove out of the woods and I no longer had to worry about a tree collapsing on me. The hail was still violently coming down, but the car stayed intact. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I pulled into our driveway and shut the car off and sprinted into the house. Within minutes, the storm was over.

The amazing thing was, when I examined my car there was not a dent or scratch on it! I could not believe it. The car must be made of tough metal! I tried to tell Steve and Megan how frightened I was and how big the hail was and I could tell they didn't really believe me. However, the Eby's had grabbed a camera and took some pictures so I have proof that what I went through was real. In the above picture, Justin is displaying some of the chunks in his hand. Here is a picture of a pile that gathered alongside their barn.

As I thought back over my experience an old hymn kept coming to mind, "Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by." That was certainly my prayer as I drove through the hail. I felt just like the song states,

"when the storm howls above me,

and there's no hiding place;

'Mid the crash of the thunder (hail),

Precious Lord, hear my cry;

Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by."

It is comforting to know that God holds me in the hollow of his hand through all the "storms" of life. Here is a link to this wonderful hymn.