Watching Over the “Monster” Storm With Christ

With the passing of each season, the massive sycamore tree standing on our front lawn, serves as both prayer tree and hope. Old and gnarled as it is, it mercifully endures all seasons and brightens sad hearts by continuing to break into leaf every mid-May.

Ours cannot be the only small village where the scene outside house windows look so desperately bleak and forlorn.

From the winters of my long ago childhood, memories remind me that children could be seen building snowmen, bringing to mind that could this winter with its months of snow and ice be made all the bleaker because it’s a sad reminder that life has changed so drastically.

In my childhood, I remember the mournful call of the fog horn, hauntingly drifting from the Halifax Harbor. Hearing the sound, I always ran for my leggings and parka to run down past Gottingen Street, down to the harbor, where ships from all over the world were always anchored.

No way of knowing whether the children of the day still do that. Likely not when the world is no longer safe for such past times.

And now we have hyper warnings from the weather ‘experts’ that the snow and ice storms headed our way originate from what they are openly calling a “monster” storm, predicting before it even hits as an “historic” one.

It’s a fact of life that winter sometimes bring snow and ice storms, and that some winters, such as this one, are more brutal than others.

A fact, too that the-sky-is-falling weather reports bring millions of clicks to weather reports seeking prominence.

Somewhat incredible to me is that the Lake Effect storms in Ontario from whence we came, were far worse than the ones in Nova Scotia. During one Christmas snowstorm in Goderich, the main highways were closed over Christmas holidays. When it came time to dig out, authorities dug down and found a transport truck that had been buried in the snow for the past five days.

Back then, one of my best friends, who lives alone, was terrified of high winds.

She took comfort when I told her that I always think of the howling wind as the Holy Spirit.

I don’t much like falling rains, preferring falling snow, but have long believed that when the rain falls gently, it could be the gentle tears of Almighty God’s many angels.

Fearing the weather is not a healthy past time. Promoting the coming storm this weekend as “historic” before it even happens is out and out fear mongering.

Prepare for the “monster” storm in common sense ways that will keep your beloved family safe and warm.

If the storm brings on a power outage, light your candles and try to remember that all storms are passing that every winter no matter how brutal, end always ends in Spring,

The most cherished candle you have is the spiritual one you light in your soul, there to remind you to always pray.

When the worst “monster”, “historic” storm passes, it will leave survivors all the stronger—and even more “monster” proofed.

God Bless all storm riders, keep you thermoses  handy.

“Protect us, Lord, while we are awake and safeguard us as we sleep; That we may keep watch with Christ, and rest in peace.” (Canticle Nunc Dimittis)