Bone Chilling
Friday, January 18, 2008 at 06:58AM We have gone from non-descript, regular-good-old, nothing much to talk about winter weather to down-right bone chilling cold and it promises to get colder as the weekend progresses.
Jake had to leave his car at work yesterday afternoon because of a quirky thing that happens with his ignition every once in a while. The key goes in, but will.not.turn.
It was frigid cold and windy and dark, dark, dark. Bone chilling cold. The kind of cold that is really unsafe for Jake to be out in.
So, Tom and I bundled up and ran out to the parking lot last night with a flashlight and crossed fingers, hoping we could jiggle, bang, and tap until the steering column loosened up and the key turned. It took about 15 minutes and by that time, our fingers and toes were stiff and numb, nearly paralysed with the cold. Thankfully, the car started up immediately.
It's been a long time since I've been out in those conditions for that long. I'm not sure which was worse--the feeling of frozen fingers and toes and the blowing wind, or the intense pain of warming up again once we were home.
How did the pioneers survive conditions like this? What about newborn babies and tiny children? How do you cope with that kind of bone chilling, bitter cold when it creeps into your house, night and day?
I went to sleep last night, thinking about the cold, thankful for my trusty furnace and warm blankets, wondering if I would have had the physical and mental fortitude to survive such conditions; thanking God for Jake's life, knowing full well that he would never have survived as an infant in another place and time.
Psalm 147:16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
Kim from Hiraeth
John Piper weighs in on the bone-chilling cold; the kind of cold you don't play with. . .
HT: Rebecca
This reminds me of the winter of either '93 or '94 in Ohio. It was the coldest temps I have ever experienced; it got down to -40 degrees. Neither Tom nor I can remember whether that was with or without wind chill. My car was in the garage and wouldn't start. Tom's car was at work, 40 minutes away, and wouldn't start. Thankfully, a friend of his brought him home in his truck (thanks, Bob!). We ended up having to replace the batteries in both cars.
We had two 'less-than-a-year-old' kittens that winter, Henry and Lloydd. They were outside kitties, but we managed to round them up and close them in the garage. We made up a little box with old sweaters and towels for them to cuddle up in, but they were smarter than we were; they tipped over an old styrofoam cooler, dragged their blankets in there and snuggled up together. The cooler allowed them to conserve their body temperature.
Luke 12:22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
Reader Comments (10)
Brrr. Those are bone chilling thoughts too! I am so thankful for my shelter and warm blankies!!
Those are chilling thoughts, indeed. I often wonder about that myself, during our long cold nights.
We have a very cold wind chill today, too. I have to go out later, even though I don't want to!
You must be mistaken. Haven't you heard? The earth is getting warmer..... [Mmph! :)]
Seriously, sorry to hear that it's so cold. We're supposed to get it later. I'm thinking this is why God let us have dogs as pets! They can snuggle in and warm you up like nothing else on the planet! Stay warm!!
We haven't had bone-chilling weather over here for a good while.
When I read through your post on Jake, I could just feel your anxiety. How good to know He is in control of everything.
What a handsome son you have and what a witness to God's goodness to you and your family.
Praise God for a nice warm house!
How interesting that the simile "snow like wool" is used even though the contrast between the two stands out more to me in that context...*ponders*
Glad you got the car going. Extra glad Jake is well and with you. :) Stay warm, Kim and family!
ps I don't think I've EVER experienced bone-chilling cold like that!
I am a few days late commenting on this- trying to catch up on blog reading that I have gotten behind on.
I remember that extremely cold winter you are treferring to (and I also remember Henry and Lloydd!!) Tom and Tony both worked at the same place at that time, and could not go to work for a few days because neither of their cars would start due to the cold, remember that??
Once again I did not proofread before I posted-of course I meant "referring" and not "treferring!!!" :)