Ascribe: what I taught my girls about thunder

Today in Sacramento there was an actual thunder storm. As someone from the Midwest, I can say ‘real’ thunderstorms are rare in California. Today, though, my girls were eating their breakfast and I was making coffee in my aero press when, in a matter of two seconds, the power went out and there was an enormous clap of thunder that set off my car alarm.

I smiled with delight.
Haddisen (3 years old) was shocked and then smiled.
Bryleigh (4 years old) put her hands over her ears and cried.

I calmed the situation and then explained what thunder really is. I explained that it is one of my favorite things.

I also told them the story of Nikola Tesla, the brilliant inventor, engineer, and designer of the alternating current (AC) electricity supply system, who was known to sit near his window during a thunder storm. He would sit and wait until the next thunder clap when he would rise to his feet to give God a standing ovation.

Pslam 96:5-8 says:
“But the LORD made the heavens
Splendor and majesty are before Him
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
ASCRIBE to the LORD, O families of the peoples
ASCRIBE to the LORD glory and strength
ASCRIBE to the Lord the glory of His name.”

“Ascribe” means to attribute something to something or someone else. We are to attribute great and powerful and beautiful things to God. The LORD does and provides these things; they are not coincidence or simply natural reactions. God is to be ascribed these things.

The girls loved this idea and for the rest of the morning we all three clapped for God with each thunder roll and clap. Haddie would even copy me each time saying, “Dadda, how cool!!!”

Most Influential Person

After being asked the question by Anne Jackson, and reading her response to her own question, I must say the person who has had huge influence on my life is Mr. K.

In middle school, I was not driven to be much of a student. Applying myself was as foreign as it is cliche. This meant testing into high school placed me in remedial English courses.*

The school system in Indiana, at that time, never allowed for retesting. This meant my eventual turn toward scholarship would never serve to help me move into more advanced English and writing classes.

My Junior year, I was assigned to Mr. K’s remedial English class where I would be eternally stuck in the remedial rut of English courses. I enjoyed writing. I had already developed that habit when I received my mom’s old word processor in middle school to write stories and various other things nobody would ever read.

After a few short weeks of class, Mr. K would pull me aside and speak these words out of his mouth that wreaked of cigarettes and…whiskey??

“You’re a damn good writer, PC. I don’t know why you’re in this class, but you are capable of a lot more.”

Mr. K backed up that statement with treatment throughout the semester, and my confidence grew from that moment on to write…and never stop.

Without Mr. K, I would have always believed I was meant to be remedial.

Who has had the most influence on your life?

* I was also placed into remedial math classes, but that may have never changed.