On Saturday, the extended weather forecast called for cooler temperatures and a chance of snow in southern Minnesota. Okay. We raked more leaves, mowed the lawn one last time, and put the garden hoses away. The snow blower and lawn mower traded places in the garage. Sunday was in the mid-30’s with calm winds, and the sun felt warm as we nailed lathe over plastic sheeting to cover the screened-in porch, the last of our getting-ready-for-winter chores. Oh, and the weather forecast had changed to nine inches of snow for us on Monday! Okay!
Things in life can change quickly. Chris spent a couple of hours at work getting equipment ready for snow removal at the college. I washed windows, cleaned out window wells, put out bird feed, hauled a small pile of brush, and took a few pictures. We were as ready as we could be.
The snow began an hour or so before Chris left for work at 4:00 am. By 6:00 am the schools and colleges in the area were closed for the day. We had seven inches of snow before 10:00 am. The wind is howling, the snow is still falling, and we are in a winter storm warning until noon on Tuesday. The prediction now is 10 to 16 inches–I’m sure we have over a foot already.
I want to show you what a difference less than 24 hours can make.
It is an early storm with a large amount of snow. By November, we are usually prepared for what’s coming–even if we only have one day’s warning. But sometimes in life, we are blindsided by a storm that we are not expecting, and our life can change dramatically in less than 24 hours. How can one be prepared for that? I believe we have to hitch ourselves to God. We need to welcome into our souls the beauty that presents itself to us. We need to offer the seeds of faith, hope, and love, and we need to partake of them. Then we can fly with strength into the storm.
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