
My father was a very strong man . . . probably the strongest man I have personally known. I understood this by watching many physical acts of his throughout the years. One story stands re-telling that I did not witness, but one of my cousins shared it with me. This is what he said:
Farmer Jones wanted me to tell you this story about your father. Jones could not stand your dad. He really disliked him. He considered him arrogant, haughty, and conceited. Just the thought of ‘Smitty’ walking around with his chest puffed out, irritated him. (Actually, he was barrel chested).
One day, farmer Jones got a wagonload of old telephone poles for the farm. He called a number of men to help him unload. The process was difficult because the wagon was downhill and the telephone poles had to be carried uphill. This enlisted anywhere from three to five men per pole.
Then Smitty walked up to the wagon with his arms held out . . . all by himself. Jones could not believe it. He thought, “I’ll show that old @#$%!” With that, the farmer took his crowbar and rolled one pole off the wagon as hard as he could.
Smitty caught it! He not only caught it, but he carried it up the hill all by himself.
“You know,” Jones said, “it was at that time I realized that Smitty could snap my neck anytime he wanted to."
He wasn't telling me anything new. I had enough spankings growing up to developed eternal swelling. :)
“I love you, Lord, my strength.” Psalm 18:1