Enlightenment, by Bill Canny

There was lightening Thursday.  As our work day heated up in the afternoon storm clouds and the rumble of distant thunder perked up our ears. Woody the county official who gave us our daily assignments came by to warn us that storms would be moving through the area and we would need to shut down our cleanup operations early. I was relieved that we would be out of the storm and relieved that the days fatigue would be shortened.  We cleaned up the site and headed back to the church.

Then there was lightening, and hail, and torrential rain.  Several days of seeing demolished homes made a regular summer thunderstorm seem a bit more unsettling. Lightening has a way of giving sudden flashing glimpses of sights that arenít immediately apparent.  Here are some things I found enlightening this week;
- There is an enormous potential for destructive power in the events of nature.
- Youth has a marvelous exuberance for compassionate work for others.
- Critical judgments of people fade rapidly when you're focused on a worthwhile task.
- A cold air mattress isn't uncomfortable if you've seen people living in tents by their destroyed homes.
- People of faith maintain humor even in adversity.
- Catastrophic events have their own grief cycle.
- Doing good works feels good; seeing good works done feels even better.
- Loss of property unveils an increased appreciation for life.
      And

      A mind may think it resides in a youthful body, but a 70-year-old body is quickly enlightened to its own frailty.