The ice storm this week brought frigid temperatures but exquisite views. It hampered my schedule, programs, attendance, safe driving and daily expectations. My kids waited with bated breath in front of the television, expecting a snow day from school, and only to find out there would be school. The ice storms brought such extra weight on the power lines, pulling them down all over the rural area which encompasses our city. Our middle school had to close 25 minutes after all the kids got there. T. got a day off from school, yet A.N. and K. were at the elementary school, which is far removed from the Middle School. A.N. and K. stayed in school, and T. gloated for a day and 1/2.
Our corps driveway has a dramatic decline and incline, which turns dangerous in this type of weather. So, even though we plowed and salted, there were only 4-6 parking spots which were safe and being used. This week was planned for our League of Mercy Lenten visits for the city nursing homes. The gifts had already been sorted and counted, waiting to be delivered on Wednesday morning, which coincindentally followed the worst of the ice storms we received. My home phone was ringing madly, phone call after phone call found me crossing one name off the list after another, those who were unable or unwilling to travel out in the weather.
I found myself gazing at one name remaining, and I expected she would not be meeting me either, that she had just neglected to call to cancel. But my calendar did not have room for postponement and rescheduling. I don't intend to be inflexible or rigid, but the rest of my Lent has been promised out. As I drove to the corps, I knew there was a terrific chance I would be delivering these three nursing homes on my own. It would take a bit longer, adding at least three hours to the day, but this is what the day was planned for, right?!.
I waited at the corps until 9:45 a.m., the planned time, and walking into my lobby was the only volunteer who hadn't called me. She and her family had lost power 24 hours earlier, no phone, no furnace, no lights and her previous day had included many altered forms of regular life - men and grandsons splitting wood for the constant fire in the two fireplaces, cooking with dutch ovens and camp griddles over the fire, shoveling the cars out of the driveway, etc.
Yet, despite her added complications and difficulties, she knew there was only one place she would be at 10 a.m. on Wed. She didn't do it for me (but I sure appreciated her helping hands), she didn't do it for her family (they needed her at home), or even for the residents in the three homes we visited. She did is exclusively for God. The people that we saw that day have become familiar to me, having been to their rooms several times already. Some of our other gifts are sitting on their shelves or folded on their beds or hanging on their wheelchairs, showing that they have been used and needed.
"Thank you for the War Cry...I enjoy another article about God," shared one gentleman who, though has shown sign of physical improvement, will not be leaving this facility just yet. "You chose a shorter hair style: I love it!" I declare as I walk into M. room, her style amazingly with every hair in place.
"Please don't leave yet, I need you to pray..."
No matter how shorthanded we might have been, there always has to be time to pray.
Lord, thank you for being our supply of encouragement and stamina, preventing use from letting a few obstacles get in the way of Your work. Help me to always, ALWAYS see your activity.
Our corps driveway has a dramatic decline and incline, which turns dangerous in this type of weather. So, even though we plowed and salted, there were only 4-6 parking spots which were safe and being used. This week was planned for our League of Mercy Lenten visits for the city nursing homes. The gifts had already been sorted and counted, waiting to be delivered on Wednesday morning, which coincindentally followed the worst of the ice storms we received. My home phone was ringing madly, phone call after phone call found me crossing one name off the list after another, those who were unable or unwilling to travel out in the weather.
I found myself gazing at one name remaining, and I expected she would not be meeting me either, that she had just neglected to call to cancel. But my calendar did not have room for postponement and rescheduling. I don't intend to be inflexible or rigid, but the rest of my Lent has been promised out. As I drove to the corps, I knew there was a terrific chance I would be delivering these three nursing homes on my own. It would take a bit longer, adding at least three hours to the day, but this is what the day was planned for, right?!.
I waited at the corps until 9:45 a.m., the planned time, and walking into my lobby was the only volunteer who hadn't called me. She and her family had lost power 24 hours earlier, no phone, no furnace, no lights and her previous day had included many altered forms of regular life - men and grandsons splitting wood for the constant fire in the two fireplaces, cooking with dutch ovens and camp griddles over the fire, shoveling the cars out of the driveway, etc.
Yet, despite her added complications and difficulties, she knew there was only one place she would be at 10 a.m. on Wed. She didn't do it for me (but I sure appreciated her helping hands), she didn't do it for her family (they needed her at home), or even for the residents in the three homes we visited. She did is exclusively for God. The people that we saw that day have become familiar to me, having been to their rooms several times already. Some of our other gifts are sitting on their shelves or folded on their beds or hanging on their wheelchairs, showing that they have been used and needed.
"Thank you for the War Cry...I enjoy another article about God," shared one gentleman who, though has shown sign of physical improvement, will not be leaving this facility just yet. "You chose a shorter hair style: I love it!" I declare as I walk into M. room, her style amazingly with every hair in place.
"Please don't leave yet, I need you to pray..."
No matter how shorthanded we might have been, there always has to be time to pray.
Lord, thank you for being our supply of encouragement and stamina, preventing use from letting a few obstacles get in the way of Your work. Help me to always, ALWAYS see your activity.
God has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;
yet man cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11
3 comments:
Such beautiful scenes. Yes, I was born in Uruguay. After a year on to Argentina, Peru and Chile, then settling in the UK at 15!
We are having cold and windy weather, but no snow. Just a little sprinkle of ice shuts this city down. You all would be laughing at us. The pictures are beautiful but I know you all must be getting really tired of snow, cold and ice.
Post a Comment