Lightning Strike

I felt the thunderclap
In my spine,
And involuntarily prayed,
"God, please, not my house." 
The king of the castle returned moments later,
Telling of firetrucks
On the lawn 
Of the New Utrecht Reformed Church,
Putting out the smoking steeple
Of the parish house directly behind. 
"Isn't that weird," he commented,
"Lightning striking a church!
Like...God striking... God!"
His words stir thoughts within me. 
I think of the natural world
At war with us,
Aching to snatch us up
In one earthquake, volcano,
Tornado, flood, wildfire,
Or other natural disaster. 
Then I think about the fact
That the lightning struck 
The unoccupied parish house and,
Thankfully,
None of the occupied houses 
Everywhere surrounding it. 
Lastly, I think about 
God striking God...
God made Man,
Taking the lightning strike
For all humanity
So that we might inherit
Eternal Life!

Father,
Thank you,
For not hitting my house,
For striking the empty parish house 
And sparing human lives,
And for allowing Your Son to be
The Lightning Rod
For our sins,
In order to conquer
Sin and death forever!...