OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL

If you live in my area, this will not come as news to you.  There is impending ice doom on the horizon. People are panicking all around.  Bread and milk are in short supply in stores.  It feels like the apocalypse might be tonight, and everyone wants to be ready.

And I totally get it.  Last year, we got a massive Christmas storm and many were without power.  We didn't have power for five full days, and I didn't exactly bear up well under that minor (major) stressor.  Our power company is saying that we could possibly lose power for 5-10 days this time.  I hope they are operating under the "Under-Promise, Over-Deliver" approach, because that sounds terrible.

Now that we have four kiddos + a sister-in-law at our house, losing power would definitely not be fun. However, it doesn't have to be as bad as last time.  I reread my blog posts from that stretch and realized what a total baby I was about the whole thing.  Also - John and I did not really work on the same team, which impacts EVERYTHING.  Surely, this year will be different.  Maybe there could even be glimmers of fun involved.  But, I'm not making any promises.

We've spent this week getting ready for a Christmas party that probably won't happen this weekend.  It's been a bit hectic, and rest has been hard to come by.  We had big plans with our friends to go see some lights on Friday night - that is also most likely canceled.  All of this is a good reminder that we can make plans, but the Lord determines our steps.  At the end of the day, there is no getting around some of the hard stuff - you just have to walk through it.  And since God is in control, it will be for our good and His glory.

I keep getting reminded of this.  We are in the throes of feeding solids to the babies which is going all right.  Every time I sit down to feed them, there are two bumbos full of bibbed babies in front of me, usually with kicking feet and flailing arms.  I look at the packages of food and wonder how I will ever get through them.  How will I ever get through this stage?  But, I start spooning food into gaping mouths, and one bite at a time, we get through it.  The food is not in the packages anymore.  That doesn't mean it all is inside of babies, but at least we tried.

So, if Snowmegeddon/Icepocalypse 2013 does descend upon us and we lose power again, I can be certain that we will make it.  Just like all of life, we will have to take it one day at a time.  Or probably more like one hour and minute at a time.  We will figure it out.  God will be with us.  It will be for our good and for our sanctification.  Though I do not look forward the possibility of being a cold vagabond with a traveling circus, it won't be the end of the world.  This too will pass.

On that note, I should probably go do some laundry.  If I can't for quite some time, at least I won't be super behind.  Stay warm - stay safe.  If I do happen to complain when/if we lose power, please don't hold it against me.  God is still at work inside that stubborn heart of mine.