Lightning Strikes, Farmers, and Rabbits

"His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles."  Psalm 97:4

Have you ever been struck by lightning?

Elizabeth Krohn has.  And, she lived to tell about it.

In 1988, she was struck by lightning in a synagogue parking lot.  What she has experienced since that time is the subject of a book, Changed in a Flash, that she co-authored with Rice University professor, Jeffrey Kripal.

Krohn believes she spent two minutes in Heaven as a result of that lightning strike, which to her seemed to be two weeks.  She recounts that she learned of the the non-linear nature of time in Heaven, the beauty and peace there, and much, much more.  In the days and weeks that followed, she began to have strange dreams, nightmares about plane crashes, earthquakes, and other disasters, and would then see them on the evening news the next day.  She began to email the dreams to herself when she awoke in order to have the time and date stamp, proving she wasn't crazy.  The divine messages were real.

I've thought about that a great deal because in my own life there have been things so inexplicable that have occurred, and I find it all fits so perfectly with Scripture.  God is truth, His Word is truth, His Word is light, and this Light has given life to the world (John 8:12).

When lightning strikes, it is powerful.  When God reveals Himself to us, it is powerful--like lightning striking our very soul.  We are forever changed by Him, renewed by Him, empowered by Him.

So, if this is true and we are forever changed, why do so many Christians seem to be complacent and just fall away shortly after their conversion experience?  Pastor John Crowe has a wonderful story to answer this question.

A young preacher was discouraged and came to visit an old farmer one day.  The young preacher wanted to know why so many people accept Christ as their Savior and start out with such enthusiasm, but so quickly fizzle out and fall away.

"Preacher," the farmer said.  "Let me tell you a little story.  You see my dog, Duke, there on the porch?"

"Yes," the preacher said.

"One day ol' Duke saw himself a rabbit.  He charged after that rabbit barking and carrying on so.  He ran at top speed and wouldn't let up for anything.  He ran over the hills, down by the stream, and pretty soon he had all the dogs within a five-mile radius running after that rabbit with him.  They ran together by the river and up into the forest.  After a while, the other dogs started to drop off, but not ol' Duke!  He kept going at top speed.  Preacher, why do you suppose those other dogs dropped off?"

The farmer paused, waiting for the preacher to answer, but no answer came.

"They dropped off because they never saw the rabbit," the farmer said.

Have you seen the rabbit?  Have you seen Jesus?  Or, are you just following someone else's rabbit, their faith?  Have you been struck by lightning?  Or, have you just heard about someone else's experience?

Romans 1:20 tells us, "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God."

Goodnight, Runners.