Working in my kitchen that afternoon, I noticed the wind picking up. Leaves that had still been clinging to the trees went sailing by, and then my house shivered as a giant bang and thud shook the structure.
Heart hammering, I looked outside. A big wind gust had blown over one of our heavy deck tables, knocking over chairs, snapping the steel pole of the umbrella and sending things crashing into our deck swing. My mouth dropped open.
That was some serious wind! Add in temperatures that were dropping into the low teens, and you can understand why I dreaded the thought of heading out into the cold later that day to run errands. I bundled into socks, a warm shirt, my usually oh-so-warm fleecy coat and gloves, but with the wind and intense cold, I found myself shivering as soon I ran from the car to indoors.
And, oh my, that wonderful moment when a sudden blast of warm air met me as I dashed inside. It was so comforting, and I wanted to wrap it around me until my shivering stopped.
Whenever I’m cold, a warm building or a toasty fire feel especially welcoming—and it occurred to me, that’s how we should be for others.
At one time or another, all of us will go through seasons of life where winds of adversity howl around us—when it feels like all it will take is just one more blast to knock us off our feet. I’ve been there, and I suspect you have as well.
Others are often seeking warmth—love in their time of heartache. I’ve been blessed to have friends who provided that for me, and I want to do the same for those I encounter each day. With God’s help, I want to be a comfort and a place of refuge for those who are struggling in the cold.
