The weather man is predicting 10-14 inches of fresh snow today and tomorrow. I ran to the grocery store early to stock up…along with half of town, apparently, given the long lines at the checkout and the paucity of parking places. As I write, the wind is starting to wail and our wind chimes are clanging mournfully. The snowflakes outside are swarming like a cloud of gnats—up and down and sideways. Son Aaron spent 3 hours shoveling his driveway and roof top over the weekend, since out east they’ve been getting hammered for a good week already. Nothing like a good storm to make us button down the hatches and be grateful for a warm house.
At such times, my heart goes out to the homeless. We have several wonderful shelters in our city, but some people are unaware that such shelters exist, and others are afraid to get help…I’m guessing either because they’re mentally ill or wanted by the police. So, sadly, every year one or two people die from overexposure during the worst storms. Dear Lord, please keep any from dying tonight!
I wonder, are we prepared for the spiritual storms in life? Have we “stocked up” on the oil of the Holy Spirit in our lives, like the wise virgins in Matthew 25? Are we snug and warm in our hearts, safe and secure because God is our shelter (Psalm 61)? Or, are we at risk for disaster because we’re afraid to come to God for help? In every storm—both without and within—may we run to God for refuge!
“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:6)
Summer Setting 
Nice thoughts. We’re watching that same storm roll in over here. I’m thankful for the stock up we did on water and a kerosene heater in case we lose power. It strikes me that we need to always be stocking up in spiritual readiness since there’s no weather man to warn us of when life’s storms may hit.
I do hope you all get over it safely. My family in Australia are awaiting a cyclone!
Andrea…thanks for your good addition!
Sarah, I will pray for your family…Dorothy’s? Do they have underground shelter at all?
Thank you Kathy. The storm wasn’t as bad as they had expected! Dorothea wasn’t affected by it as she lives in the south, but her daughter and my aunts and uncles all live in Queensland. But the storm passed them all by.
Praise God for that! I remember just once while visiting my grandmother in Colorado that a cyclone swept through the area. We had to hide in the basement and were terrified, but it passed us by. Then, once again when the children were little, and once a few years ago when about 20 trees were knocked over in our woods but our home wasn’t touched. God is merciful!