I opened the door, the dogs ran out, I wish I could have captured the image on their faces. The grass, which was normally supple and inviting was now stiff and threatening. They lifted their feet like the needle on a sewing machine trying to find some soft patch in which to land. Pleading eyes swept toward me as they quickly retreated into the house. They turned and stood gazing in confusion at the frozen world. I locked their looks onto the photographic plate in my mind.
I stepped outside into the front yard and almost immediately heard a gunshot. I quickly revised my thoughts, not a gunshot, but a branch snapping. Then another explosion rent the air. It was like standing on a firing range. Across the street from me a huge branch collapsed with an antagonizing scream and then shuddering sigh. The wind blew and a thousand ice crystals shudder at the loss. If I sit quietly, I can still hear the creeks and breaks echoing in my memory. During the frozen night, a huge noise catapulted us to attention. A branch had fallen by our bedroom window missing us and great damage by only a few inches. Our hearts raced and our ears stood at attention through the rest of the restless night.
We drove out to find warmth, electricity and the internet. The truck swerved around limbs and drifted out of our lane to avoid heavy overhanging branches. Suddenly, a pop came from the windshield. A bright white lightening bolt flashed across the glass. It looked like it radiated from a tiny spot. If something hit the glass, we never saw it, but the moment is frozen in time. Every gaze through the transparent shield is marred by the ugly gash.
We traded messages with others in town, watching as one and then another lost power and hunkered down under blankets and gathered before blazing fires. We got more wood from friends and were so thankful for the wood when eventually our power also failed. We rearranged the living room so that we could get closer to the flames and the heat. I have a picture in my mind of us sitting in the total darkness with just firelight washing across our faces. We are safe from the danger and threat and are near one another. It’s what love feels like. The fireplace ate the wood at a ravenous rate. and we abandoned the idea of keeping it alive through the night. We retreated to blankets and quilts and waited for daybreak.
We went for a walk and I tried to grab moments out of the air. I wanted to gather a piece of the frozen art, knowing in just a few hours that this spectacle would just melt away. I saw the blooms of spring, fooled by the warmth of last week, rushing to emerge only to be frozen in their tracks. They were like brilliant jewels in a royal crown.
Some images are frozen inside of me, moments of great beauty, compassion and love. Others of insecurity and fear. I choose to hold onto the beautiful images. I went through my photos and deleted all the ones I had taken of downed limbs and damage. I choose to freeze my attention on God’s provision in the middle of the storm.