What A Difference A Day Makes

In a matter of hours it changed.
The day began with temperatures near 70 degrees.
It was unusual for late November.
It was not my favorite kind of fall day.

I like cold weather.
I can always get warm when I’m cold.
However, in the heat and humidity, I can never get comfortable.
Blankets and a cozy fire in the fireplace are my favorite things in the cold weather.

This warm day proved to be a challenge when it was time to get dressed.
Long sleeves are usually what November calls for; however, it was a short sleeve kind of day.
The weather forecast called for rain in the early evening with the temperatures falling.
And fall they did; dramatically.

In a span of a few hours, the temperatures went from near 70 down to 40 degrees.
Some areas had temperatures lower than that.
The rain came and was mixed with sleet.
A light dusting of snow fell as well.

What a difference a day makes.

The wind kicked up and literally howled at times.
It was the kind of night that makes me thankful to be inside in front of the fire.
I prayed for each of my children, wondering if they were affected by the weather.
It was hard to believe that just hours earlier, it felt more like a spring day.

The wind blew all night long.
I could hear the wind rattle the shutters.
I could see the outline of the tree branches as they danced in the moonlight.
I heard branches snap and wondered where they had fallen.

The morning came and the wind was a bit calmer.
I went through the upstairs rooms, opening the blinds.
As I opened the blinds in one of the bathrooms, I saw something on the front lawn.
I looked a little closer and discovered that it was my seasonal flag still attached to the flag pole.

The wind was so strong that it pulled the pole out of the bracket that attached to our house.
I wondered if our American flag was still there.
The wind came up so suddenly that I never got outside to bring the flags into the garage.
I went downstairs and opened the garage to retrieve my flag.

As soon as I opened the garage I saw something white on the ground.
The metal flag pole bracket had ripped right off of its base.
The wind was so strong it actually cracked the metal bracket in two.
I got my flag from the front lawn and brought the broken bracket inside to show my husband.

He could not believe the way it cracked.
That wind was strong, he remarked.
I brought in the American flag since the wind was expected to continue throughout the day.
I will get a new bracket for you, he promised.

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, “Fall on the earth,” and to the rain shower, “Be a mighty downpour.” So that all men He has made may know His work, He stops every man from his labor. The animals take cover; they remain in their dens. The tempest comes out from his chamber, the cold from the driving winds. The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. At His direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever He commands them.
(Job 37:5-12)

The majestic power of God is visible in nature.
Imagine the beauty and uniqueness of a single snowflake.
One snowflake cannot cause problems since it melts almost instantaneously.
However, many snowflakes falling together can literally stop traffic.

God’s word says so.
A blizzard stops every man in his labor. (Job 37:7)
We go about our days feeling powerful and capable.
Then nature intervenes.

The wind howls, the snow falls, the sleet pelts, and the rain drenches.
We are often helpless in its wake.
Metal flag poles crack as they tear away from the house.
Strong trees bend and break like matchsticks.

We feel vulnerable.
We have met our match.
We feel helpless as the storm rages around us.
Except we forget one thing: we are not alone.

We are never alone.
We are never helpless.
We are never defenseless.
We are never forgotten.

Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes His lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of Him who is perfect in knowledge?…No one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. Out of the north He comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in His justice and great righteousness, He does not oppress. Therefore, men revere Him, for does He not have regard for all the wise in heart? (Job 37:14-16, 21-24)

That is all we can do.
That is all we are meant to do.
We must spend time considering God’s wonders.
We must realize that God Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power.

Praise Him for the mighty God He is.
Be in awe of His power, yet at the same time, be amazed at His tender mercy.
Look for things that display God’s power as you go about your day.
They are there; you will find them when you look for them.

When you find them, praise Him.
Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, cares about you and me.
God cares deeply about His children.
He really does.