Hard and Mean Winter

Merri Maywether

11 years ago

This has been a hard winter. I, the let’s Google it girl, knew it would be. We had an ongoing debate in our home. I cited the Farmer’s Almanac when telling my husband that this would be the coldest winter in 100 years. He politely laughed and said it won’t be that bad.

It has been so cold I refused to leave the house. It has been so cold we have been without water twice in a one week period. It has been so cold the heater on the passenger side of our vehicle broke and I rode two hours in below zero temperatures. My feet had no feeling for two days. Our stove caught fire when the bottom of a pot made contact with the element. The circumstances have been so harsh my husband questioned the sanity of our move from Phoenix.

I sat quietly- mostly because there was no other people that were remotely close. The wonderings began. Are all these events inconveniences meant for growth or is it a sign that we shouldn’t be here? Balaam from the Bible was my reference. This individual was at odds with God. It was one of those what Balaam wants vs what God said situations. What happens next is my summary. God finally shook his head and said let’s see how this ends. So Balaam is on his way to do what he wants and probably thinking booyah positive affirmations work when his donkey starts pushing him into the wall. This happened three times. Balaam curses the donkey and the donkey speaks. Is says something to the effect of “I am not going near that guy.” The angel of death was in their path. Something about hearing a donkey speak gave Balaam the ability to see the angel too. How’s that positive affirmation thing working for you?

And, that is what I wondered. Was our living in a place where most people dream an act of selfishness? Had we angered God?

Today when good friends pulled me out of the house the answer came. This has been in our driveway all day-a message of love. We still don’t have a stove, the heat is still broken on the passenger side of our car. I was so happy to see my friends I ran a block in -15 temperature without a hat and gloves. That won’t happen again any time soon. And the burning sensation in my hands and ears was nothing compared to the burning in my heart…and my husband’s wallet. This girl ordered a new heater for the passenger side of the car and a couple extra space heater for the basement to keep the pipes warm. That Farmer’s Almanac was not joking.