White waves roll across the field, and cyclones swirl from the surface. The feeder’s are a’flurry, and the windows thunk more often as the birds bounce off them. Everyone’s talking about the weather. Janice Dean of Fox News says she’s never seen anything like it in all her years as a meteorologist.
But I remember when we’d climb the shoveled- and wind-created hill with our sleds and slide down from the roof of the motel. I’ve heard stories about my dad heading out in snowshoes to clear the weight from neighbors’ roofs, about delivering supplies from a toboggan, about plugging in our cars. I don’t think we knew anything about wind chills.
Things sure have changed over the years when we took each day as it came.
I fumble with the front door and pan the landscape with my iPhone. The wind wraps the porch like a hurricane, and I lean into it to keep my balance. Goldfinch wings whir frigid air more sharp. I stay out there only seconds.
My husband manages to blow a path for the pups in the back yard, but clearing the driveway is hopeless. We’re officially snowed in. Drifts mound against the garage and fence, and the bush in front forms an igloo. And I’m remembering the time several girls came home with me for the weekend and how a storm hit and how we couldn’t make it back to nursing school for Monday’s classes.
Dennis scoops black oil seed and notes the birdbath has frozen in spite of the heater. He brings it in to defrost. Later he’ll fill it with fresh water and dump hot ashes from the wood stove, but mostly we’ll hunker inside with computers and books and the Weather Channel. We still have reception, though the neighbor’s satellite dish is buried.
The mounds and peaks of white remind me of meringue piled on my lemon pies. They’re waves frozen, and if we have to have winter, we might as well have adventure. I can’t see across the field right now, and I’m thinking about the power of the wind and how it parted the waters and how the Israelites moved out into a sea of change and how they had to choose whether to go forward through a mist of the unknown or return to a life of the known.
And the wind blows where it wills, and nobody knows for sure where it comes from or where it’s going, but sometimes we just have to follow it. God whispers in the wind, and can dead bodies live without the breath of life? I think on these things while I nibble a sourdough muffin topped with Leslie’s wild rose petal jam and sip Asian white jasmine tea.
I sense a new breeze blowing in this new year, and I lean into it. I breathe deep, and I think I hear dry bones rattle.
Still leaning,
Sandy
Note: You might enjoy this article about Janice Dean and the hope she’s found in spite of changes the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis has brought to her life. And here’s the link to her blog post where she shared the news.
Are you leaning into any winds of change as you face this new year?
Contemplating transitions with The High Calling
and linking with Laura’s Playdates
and the storytellers at Jennifer’s
and with Holley
the winds of change
are a storm
in our lives
but we surrender in trust
believing that it is indeed
His wind
I love when you drop in a little poetry, Karin. You’ve got some winds blowing for sure.
Sandy – These reflections are beautiful. They show a past and a present. The show a place and time. They reflect the importance of here and now. And I especially love the photo of your puppy!
Miss you, friend.
He looks kind of pitiful, doesn’t he? I worried about them getting frostbite on their little paws, but they seemed to do fine. They always bounded out the door. Maybe it had something to do with chasing the birds. 🙂
You’ve had your share of recent changes. 🙂
I love that the birds didn’t hide during the storm. They were out there looking for food & water.
So true! They could have hidden in a bush and felt sorry for themselves, but they stayed busy. 🙂
Oh, look at your little snow pup! So cute. And listening to that wind makes me even colder! On my short walk of one block to the hospital this morning, I thought my face might fall off. But you have it worse up there, friend! Yes, stay inside, stay warm. Drink a little tea for me. Hugs on cold day, Sandy.
I’ll take your hugs on a warm day, dear Laura. It’s warming up. At this moment its 0 degrees!
It has been cold, really cold down here in the South. But without the snow so we can’t complain. We would take a little if you want to send our way…but please no ice. So thankful the birds can depend on you. Love the female cardinal wearing her lipstick 🙂
That cardinal… she’s just a little splash of hope. The sun is out, and the wind has stopped. But it’s still very cold–so cold, they say, the road salt is not working, and cars are still slipping and sliding. I do much prefer snow and being snowed in to driving on ice.
“And the wind blows where it wills, and nobody knows for sure where it comes from or where it’s going, but sometimes we just have to follow it.”
Yes . . . follow . . . let it swirlsand roar, clamor and scream, calling to us to pay attention to God and His creation!
Thank you, Sandy, for the gorgeous photos and heart-grabbing reflection. The Holy Spirit does work so powerfully through you, my friend!
The snow is so pretty in photos, but I just can’t imagine all this cold. This is a hard transition year for me, and I’m still learning to lean into the winds, rather than fight them. Your words here inspire me, dear friend. xox
Thank you so much for linking up with Coffee for Your Heart, friend! XOXO