In The Storm

I always want snow for Christmas, that’s just how I’m wired.  My favorite memories of growing up on the farm were when we would have a big snow storm that would cover everything with a clean coat of snow.  Sometimes the snow would be measured in feet and not inches.  I remember one year when we had enough snow that reached to the top of the chicken barn and we would climb up on the roof with our toboggan and carefully balance the toboggan on the peak and sail down at a pretty rapid speed giggling all the way.  With all that snow there were tunnels and snow forts to build, snowball fights and snowmen to create.  I’m sure my dad would disagree that those were great times for him, shoveling a path for us from the house to the car, but, man I loved the snow.  Yesterday we had a beautiful snowfall, the flakes were big and covered the ground quite quickly and from the inside looking out the winter wonderland was something to behold.  That is, until my husband came home and said I needed to take the half ton and follow him to Altona because our work truck needed to be dropped off for repairs.  Hmmm, somehow knowing that you have to drive in that snowy wonderland is completely different than staying snug and cozy in the house watching it from a picture window.  Oh well, off we went. 
To save time, Wes took the country route that would take us through Plum Coulee.  I was ok with that, until we turned east and I had a hard time seeing his taillights in the distance.  I knew I couldn’t follow too closely on those country roads in case someone would be coming in my direction and since it was late afternoon the sun was going down fast and the snow was falling even faster making visibility more difficult with each passing minute.  I pretty much know those back roads quite comfortably, in the daylight and when the weather is clear, however things can change in a heartbeat when the weather is sketchy.  I kind of knew what I needed to look for as far as markers, but, somehow those dynamics become a bit more complicated with the fading light and falling snow.  I knew I was still driving east, but, how many miles I had already driven, I had no idea.  We passed a farmyard to my right that I recognized and I took a breath, yup, I knew now where I was, but, then it didn’t take long and I was feeling lost again.   Soon I passed a small bridge again to my right and I got my bearings one more time.  As I drove along I moved my eyes from side to side on the road looking for more telltale signs that would offer me assurance that I was still going in the right direction.  A graveyard, a shelterbelt, another familiar farmyard.  Each little thing helped me to move forward.  Every once in a while I would see the taillights from Wes’ truck peeking through the blowing snow, but, more often than not I felt like I was out in the storm on my own. 
God and I have this thing that when I’m driving that’s when I hear from him the best.  I love those times.  That’s why I often don’t bother having a radio on because I know this could be that drive where he speaks.  Last night was one of those times.  As I looked back and forth from one side of the road to the other straining to see the next familiar marker on the gravel road I was reminded about the Bible verse in 2 Chronicles that talks about God’s eyes “moving to and fro” or some translations say “searching” or “he watches the whole earth” The situation I was in actually gave me a whole new picture and appreciation for that verse.
Every time I saw a familiar marker I gave a little sigh of relief and then I smiled, thinking of God doing the same thing…not the sighing with relief part, but, the searching and being happy with what he finds part.  I wonder what his reaction is in that moment when he finds one of us faithful.   I only hope that his search is never as long to find someone faithful as mine was looking for that next marker.  In my mind’s eye I want to believe that he doesn’t need to search long and hard or that those who are faithful are very few and far between.  I would hope that he sees row upon row of those who belong to him, standing together or busy working together and as soon as his roaming eyes light upon us that our love for him causes his heart to skip a beat because that’s how I feel when he speaks to me through his word or through simple situations like driving in a snow storm.  And somehow hearing his still small voice through scripture in that storm yesterday, I didn't feel quite so alone anymore.

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.