I’m not sure if it’s a southern saying or something my family said, but I heard “Dropped by” quite often while growing up. It simply means an unexpected visit to somebody else’s home. Usually it was somebody you knew, but in times of desperation it could be any home. I had to “Drop by” a stranger’s home many years ago and it’s a day a-I still remember. And I still can’t explain what I experienced.
That fateful morning a severe thunderstorm watch was issued. Right before I left work that afternoon, it was changed to a tornado watch. At that point, I just wanted to pick up Sara from my grandparent’s house and go home.
I wasn’t far from work when I heard a loud grinding noise. It didn’t take long for me to realize it was the rim of my wheel rolling against the road. I definitely had a flat tire and I knew I had to get off of the road immediately. If I bent the rim, it would be very costly and my husband Tim wouldn’t be a happy camper.
No way was I getting home any time soon.
At this time, cells phones were relatively new and I didn’t have one yet. There was only one option: to drop by a stranger’s home and ask to use their phone.
Sometimes you do what you gotta do.
Slowly I drove into the long driveway leading to a white house that seemed to have a welcoming appearance. I silently prayed as I walked up to the door and knocked on it. A lady answered. I explained my situation and asked to use her phone. She was very kind and let me in. She had a newborn and her parents where there to help her.

I called my grandparents since everybody else was at work. I called and called with no answer. The nice lady and her parents repeatedly asked me to sit down, but I didn’t since I had dropped in on their special time. So I awkwardly stood by her front door.
While I stood, there was a thunderstorm where it poured the rain. I worried since I couldn’t get a hold of my grandparents and I knew Sara was with them. What if they were out driving in this weather? I prayed for their safety.
Shortly after it stopped raining, the nice lady’s husband came home. With him was one of their neighbors. After hearing my story, they volunteered to change my tire so I could go on home.
I walked with them to my car. If they were kind enough to change my tire, the least I could do was go down with them in case they needed my help. Which they didn’t. To be honest, I just wanted to get out of the house and get to Sara.
That’s when something decided to drop by. Or should I say almost drop from the sky?
While they were changing my tire, we noticed a bizarre cloud. It was lower to the ground than the other clouds. Some people would have said this was a wall could, which is where tornadoes are dropped from during storms. Whether it was a wall cloud or not; what came out of it wasn’t a full-fledged tornado.
This lower cloud was slowly rotating in a small circumference. Oddly, there was no loud roaring sound and no suction. The wind blowing around us hadn’t changed.
It was as if the dark blue and gray clouds were playing ring around the posy or a game of tag. We watched it float by us. It seemed to follow the railroad tracks that ran behind the house.
You know what was really strange? I had no fear while watching it. In fact, it fascinated me. If I had a smart phone at that time, I would have recorded it.
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:8 (KJV)
Looking back, I see that little adventure as a blessing and a lesson. What an experience I had that I can still tell others. And how awesome to know that during that whole time God was with me. In fact, He directed me to drop by a house where He knew I would be safe and helped.
After whatever it was, was out of range, the two men sped up their pace and soon I was on my way home. Which was thankfully the opposite direction of what we saw.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. Also, she is a member of Toastmasters and will be attending storytelling camp again for the 4th summer. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. And she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.