Zephyr at Twilight

El Nino hit at the end of the 90's and was the cause of vicious ice storms across America and mudslides that pushed houses off mountains. I know because we moved from Pennsylvania to San Francisco between Christmas and New Year's during one of El Nino's most passionate onslaughts on America. We traveled, Tim driving a 24-ft U-haul truck with me following in a 250 Ford Lariat puling a 12-ft trailer with 2 children and a German Shepherd. The five-day trip took us 10 days of white knuckle, hold-your-breath, scream-praying, where did my husband go?, Why do the kids want to ride with Tim?, and Why won't this CB radio work? driving. The most terrifying moments of the trip occurred when we hit a 6 mile ice patch coming down from Flagstaff. I lost control and zigzagged down the wide, steep road. We had lost radio contact. About half-way down, we spotted a 24-foot U-haul on its side. Suddenly the radio worked again and I heard Tim's voice say, "That U-haul on its side is not us!" I shouted, "I've lost control and am all over the road." He informed me if we made it down the hill, we should take the first exit to a rest area. We continued sliding and I tried to regain control of the vehicle. We finally hit some dry ground and regained control. I pulled into the rest area and sobbed for 15 minutes.

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What are the El Nino's of your life? The bigger issues: the broken friendship, the failed business, the accident that takes life or health, serious illness, flunking out of school or having to move away from friends and family. These would threaten to undo us, seek destruction or a fall. But even the most terrifying circumstances are laced with Grace. Grace we often cannot see for the ferocity of the storm. Icy blasts grip our hearts in fear, rendering us unmovable, frozen in terror, petrified.

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The Zephyr comes like a glory. The thaw occurs. The ice melts. And God refines us.