The Blizzard

pic credit: examiner.com

The Great Blizzard of 2011

What a fantastic show of nature's power and might!

We did lose power for about 12 hours overnight during the blizzard.  We lit a fire in the fireplace, and as all the children were snug in their bed, we laughed at the absurdity that is electricity.  How we so depend on it! With the fire at my back I looked at the rest of the house, dark and dropping degree points every few minutes.  It was getting chilly quick with no blowing heat raging through the home. 

It was like a scene out of a movie, only one little area of light piercing the void that is darkness.  Periodically we'd see lightening and hear thunder during the blizzard, and it was surreal.  The whole sky would light up, and for a brief fraction of a second you'd see the force and strength of the wind and snow.  Snow was blowing sideways and drifting at unbelievable rates of speed.  It was a sight for the eyes and ears!  Wind howled through the tiniest of cracks and crevices in our home....and in the dark and cold, those noises are enough to unsettle anyone.  Remember those black and white "Twilight Zone" episodes, where the eerie music is just enough to tell you, something bad is going to happen.  I had that feeling staring into the darkness, but thankfully, the light of our fire was enough to dispel that anxiousness.

We put extra blankets on the children and once finally retiring to bed ourselves, noticed how cold the bed sheets truly can get!  Morning came early and we checked the thermostat: 55 degrees.  We thanked God for the ComEd men and women who worked diligently to restore power to so many....and then just like that, our own power returned.  While it took a few good hours to warm up the house, we were glad to be able to at least work the oven to assist in the warm up process, along with some yummy bread.

Strangely enough, as strong as the blizzard was, it left us with clear sunny skies and bearable temperatures as we dug ourselves out of our own drive way.  Thankfully, a few neighbors came to the rescue with additional shovels and one even brought his truck with his plow attached!  How many hands make light work.

I never used to like snow days.  I'd look out the window and dread seeing a few white flakes!  We are on our third snow day because of the big blizzard of 2011, and frankly, I've come to a conclusion about bad weather in general.  It's part of our lives, there is no doubt.  We are subject to it's strength and ultimately it can decide if through tornadoes, hurricanes or blizzards, if we are cold, wet, buried or even homeless. 

There is a requirement from us to acknowledge the strength of something bigger and more powerful than ourselves.  It's not something to worship, mind you, that is reserved for God alone, and trust in Him is so important in these types of weather situations.  However, I mean that there are some things that must be RESPECTED, as just bigger than us.....just out of our own control....just beyond our understanding, beyond our own power.  We live in this world, and it comes with rocky weather sometimes. 

It's what we do about it, that makes us who we are. 

I've read here, that there have been fatalities from the blizzard.  A man was even blown into Lake Michigan and drowned.  How sad.  Did he think he was more powerful than a raging blizzard?  We need to see ourselves for who we truly are, no misconceptions, no rose colored glasses.  We are human.  Yes, we are special in God's eyes, however, more so when we can recognize our meekness, our own vulnerabilities.  We are not God.  We can't control the weather, but we live with it, and survive it to live another day, and tell the tale.  It's something that demands respect.  It may be hard to handle, that notion that something is out of our own control, and might stop us, hinder us, or force us another way.

It's a battle with our own Pride, that says, we can handle anything that comes, alone, without help, and no matter the strength of our adversary.  Satan loves that.  He loves our Pride taking us over. 

Only with God's help, can we overcome our own pride, and live in such a way, that exudes meekness and trust in God alone.