Wow! by Susan L.

  The last post was a bit of a frantic blast but it served to help me offload some of the stress. Since then the power came back on. The failure lasted only twenty-three hours. There are lots of  people still without power as crews continue to clear branches and power lines. A neighbour is continues to run on a generator. Their hydro pole snapped because a whole whack of trees came down and pulled everything with it. It may be a while for them because individual houses are at the bottom of the priority list.
  I went to my daughter's for a family dinner on Saturday. On the way I passed one of the hard working crews. Coming home some five hours later, they were still in the same area. It was a wonderful supper thanks to these dedicated men and women.
  There's something breathtaking and terrible about an ice storm. Every single blade of grass, every twig gets wrapped in glass. When the sun shines, the whole world sparkles. Then a crack and cascade of ice signifies yet another tree coming down under the weight of so much beauty.
  Yesterday was a perfect spring day. The sun was high, its warmth welcomed. As quickly as the ice had built up, it vanished. The ditches were burbling, the birds singing, perfect for starting a bit of cleanup. I have to wait for tomorrow to get a burn permit then I'll build a fire out front and burn as the branches get freed from the huge pile that's out there. It's tempting to get a chain saw but that's one tool that absolutely terrifies me so with shears and a bow saw, most of the pile should be taken care of except the bigger stuff. Then I'll ask around if anyone would be willing to come and cut up the bigger limbs.
  I just watched a pair of crows picking nest building twigs from the few remaining branches left on the big tree. I guess God is answering my prayers that the whole thing comes down!
  In all the stress confess I lost sight of God (forgive me, Lord). The fears and anxiety ran fierce. Most of it was my own doing by being so ill prepared for an event impacting such a vast area. I am much wiser but there's things to do to. There needs to be a place to store the two big, full gas cans out of the sun yet is easily accessible no matter the weather. There's must always be bottles of water in the fridge or it wouldn't hurt see about making my well pump run on a plug instead of being directly wired into a switch. I need to purchase a small heater of my own. (The basement got cold enough to see my breath.)
  I acknowledge, with heart felt gratitude, these things were provided in the moment they were desperately wanted. The Lord heard my need.
  God is good!
  "I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people." Ps 116:18