The Big Blast –No Party!

“Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”*

   Al and I had a very unusual week at the end of January when the polar vortex hit Michigan as well as many other states in the Midwest and along the East Coast, lasting for several days and causing jaw dropping temperatures. It was the first time in my life that I have seen a minus six on the outdoor thermometer!

   The drastic drop in temperature affected us all, with cracks and potholes on the freeways, frozen pipes and a fire in the plant that supplied our natural gas. But Al and I were in our cozy house with adequate heat, so no complaining. Those people who were out on the streets or working outdoor jobs all suffered greatly. It was hard to imagine.

   Schools were closed, people were told to stay inside and keep their pets inside too. Frostbite could occur quickly. In spite of the bitter cold and gusty winds, the sun dared to come out on a few of those days. My favorite place to sit was in a patch of sunshine coming through the kitchen window!

   During that time period, we only had two mishaps. Thankfully, they were caught early. One morning, I tried turning on the kitchen faucet, only to find that there was no hot water. Only cold water came out of the tap.

   After calling a friend for advice, Al found the place where the pipe was probably frozen, accessed it in the basement and used my hair dryer to heat it up. What a great sound when the hot water began flowing in the sink once again! From then on, we had to keep the faucet dripping and the cabinet below the kitchen sink open.

   The other mishap was with my washing machine. After starting a load of laundry in the basement, I had gone upstairs, but had forgotten something and had to go back downstairs. The Lord was directing my steps, because just then water started flowing over the top of the tub. When I pushed the stop button, nothing happened. Panic! But then I remembered the faucets to the machine and turned off the water. Whew!

   Al came down to the basement to help. He was able to get the washer to work long enough to drain out the tub and go through a spin cycle. Then the old machine gave one loud groan and refused to work again. Maybe a casualty of the weather? Who knows?

   When the weather finally improved and the storm had passed, the community came alive again. Groundhog day was about forty degrees warmer than during the week! Al and I had signed up several weeks earlier for a hike at a recreation area. The hike was advertised as an excursion to a “groundhog’s den” which seemed a bit far fetched, but we were looking forward it.

   There wasn’t a need for snowshoes that day because the trail had been packed down by cross country skiers and hikers; however, it was uneven and hard to walk on. After skirting a frozen pond lined with cattails, the trail turned and went through the woods. A startled sandhill crane flew up from a patch of open water, proving that some birds do hang around through the winter here in Michigan.

   Another surprise happened when a furry groundhog popped his head up over a log! Well, it was on the hand of our smiling leader who had hidden a small groundhog puppet in his pocket. Was it a coincident that our leader’s name was Phil? The good news was that spring would come early. We’ll see!

   It was an enjoyable outing, appreciated even more after having been confined to the house for three days. During the hike back to the car along the icy road, I walked right behind Al, putting my feet into the footprints made by his hiking boots. My rubber soled snow boots were less likely to slide that way.

   Walking slowly and taking deliberate steps to match Al’s footprints, reminded me of the necessity of staying close to Jesus, following in His footprints and trusting Him to take us through challenging times. He loves us! A good thing to remember on Groundhog day, Valentine’s day or any time of the year!

*Isaiah 43:1b NIV