Monday, February 2, 2009







I was told that it was the worst snow storm in over ten years, and it hit the month I came. It all started on Monday January 25, and the school let the kids out at 1:00pm as a snow day. All day long the light rain fell covering the tree tops and everything else, and the 30 degree weather froze it in place, repeating this cycle over and over. This happened all day and even through the night. The next morning my sister and I were watching a movie when we heard a crash in our front yard. The pear tree out front had just lost one of it's main branches, an hour later the rest came crashing down. That entire day if you just stood still and listened, you could hear trees losing limbs off in the far distance, and sometimes just a street over.


The next night I took a walk around to see what damage had been caused so far. There were trees that were two feet in diameter that had fallen on fences, roads, and one house that I saw that had a corner of the roof taken off, with another branch coming into a bedroom from the roof above. Every tree that hadn't broken under the great weight of the ice, seemed to be bowing down to the one who make them. As I kept on walking I also saw electrical transformers blowing up, and lighting the sky a dark green. Getting home I had found that we had too, had lost our power.

The first night without power wasn't too bad, the house did a good job of trapping in most of the heat. The next day wasn't too bad either, but the house was getting colder. When the second night without power came along, I was wrapped up in a sleeping bag on the floor with multiple blankets to keep warm, the house was sitting at 45 degrees. Good thing it was a warm sleeping bag! We went a total of 2 days without power, though some are still without even as I write this.


Though moments like these are never desired, it is very encouraging to see what take place during and after the tough times. Friend helping friend, neighbor helping neighbor, and total strangers, who are God sent angels, coming along when you least expect it to lend a helping hand, and asking for nothing in return. In looking back I am reminded of the good samaritan who saw the man who was beat and robbed laying on the side of the road looking upon him in love and mercy. Unlike the ones before who probably felt sorry for the victim and kept walking, he stopped and took action. This is how we were called to live.

James 2:14-16 14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (NIV biblegateway.com)

What an amazing call we have on us as believers!

1 Peter 4:11 says "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

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