Calm Before the Storm

We were busy last night at work.  A group of African American guys came in.  Right away I could tell they had good spirits about them and having way too much fun!  They were on their way home to settle down for the night so they can get up in the morning.  I asked, “To worship?”  He said, “Yes, ma’am!”  He gave me a brief gospel of this being “bad times”, but if we believe in the Lord’s coming, we will have eternal life with him.” I smiled and then  He smiled and said something I didn’t quite hear, but ended with “God Bless You!”  as he walked out the door.

For me that was the calm before the storm.  Later as I was cleaning up, I remembered that I still need to bring inside the four washer buckets.  The air was humid and warm from the snow that  had been melting all day.  After having temperatures in the teen digits with wind at night, 40 degree is warm in Illinois at this time of year and I loved it because that means spring is around the corner. 

As I was saying, I went out to get the buckets and noticed that an arching stream of water shooting from the roof around the pole where one of the bucket was hanging.  The bucket was overflowing to the ground from the water above. 

Well,  as some of you may guess where this is going, I had to get under the iced cold water from above and remove this bucket.  The bucket was heavy and trying to get it off was a struggle.  I ended up emptying 1/2 of the bucket of washer fluid and water onto the ground.  In the meantime getting baptized with iced cold water from above.  

After retrieving this bucket,  I went and got another bucket from another post and went into the store drenched from head to toe.  The look on LeaAnne’s face when she saw me was hilarious.  When I said, I got wet out there and started laughing,  she started laughing too. 

Some of you may know the story of Jesus calming the storm.  For others, the story is in Mark 4:35-41  NIV

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."   Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.  There were also other boats with him.   A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.   He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"   They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

It was towards the end of my shift when the episode of being nearly drowned occurred.   I went about the rest of my cleaning duty and headed for home.  I parked my car in the garage and went inside the house. I  took off my wet shoes and coat when a shi’zu came running from upstairs to greet me.  She was also letting me know that she wanted go outside to do her duty. 

As I was waiting for her to finish, I looked up to the midnight sky.   The air was still warm and damp.  There were many twinkling stars out.  It was peaceful.  At that moment I wished I had the patio table and chairs out so I could sit and enjoy the moment for awhile. 

When Keiko was ready to come inside, I noticed that I didn’t have my coat on.  Normally I freeze easily.  But tonight I was warm.  Warm from the inside out.