A Raging Arctic Blizzard

In the meantime of finishing a lengthy post on living our love for Christ, I thought I'd share a bit about life in Arctic Alaska, a widespread area of the earth where global warming is the least of concerns. (chuckle)

We're digging out of a two-day blizzard, the biggest blizzard we've had in a few years. Simply walking my family's dog, Max, outside was a breath-taking challenge. Despite the serious weather, we had two men attend our evening church service on Sunday. Praise God for their commitment! Below are some pictures of a faithful Eskimo man braving the elements to be in God's House. You may have difficulty seeing him in the first photo; he's a bit more visible as he nears the front door.

He finally made it! You can't tell in the pictures how much of a struggle walking into the wind is. It is powerful and bone-chilling. God will certainly bless his effort and faithfulness!

I don't feel as though I can adequately describe the effects of the blizzard, so I'll let these pictures speak for themselves. Here's an effective contrast of a telephone pole across the street, during and after the storm.

The drifting snow utterly buried a little old Eskimo sod house we have on the church property, beside our house.

Aerial shot; all you can make out is the roof.Even the side away from the wind got plastered!

Front side; snow is very good insulation, you know. =DOther side; notice how the wind sweeped the snow
in such a perfect circle around the building.
Looking the other direction.
The door was completely buried until Dad shoveled it out!
Our poor husky, Duke, had to suffer in
the cold and wind for two days and nights. =(
Back view of the soddy and Duke's humble abode.
Some drifts in the village. The ground
is somewhere beneath all this snow. =D
Our neighbors house gets very buried every
winter. Her front window gets piled over with
snow, without fail.
Not five minutes after I came inside from taking these
pictures, a bulldozer pulled up and starting moving the
snow beside our house. Thank the Lord!!! What a blessing.
My dad and brother would've had a time moving it by muscle.
It's a good thing I got the pictures when I did. =)

As you can tell, the blizzard was quite something! Sunday evening, after coming in with Max, I was describing to my older sister how incredible it was outside. We chattered excitedly for a while, then she mused to me of how mighty the wind was on the sea of Galilee, and Jesus simply rebuked it and commanded with authority, "Peace, be still." In just an instant, there was a great calm on the once tormenting sea. Shivers went up my spine! For Christ's unlimited power to be put into that perspective--something I could truly comprehend, having just felt the blasting surges of wind moments ago--awed me. Of course Jesus could calm the storm of the sea with His word. As the disciples exclaimed, "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" He is the Son of God Almighty! He created the world, and He controls even the mightiest forces of nature!

Thinking of this marvelous passage of Scripture, my mind ran over several times Jesus' rebuke to the disciples, "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" This rebuke, I'm sure, stunned and silenced them more than the first, burning their hearts with conviction. Do you realize--Jesus said "NO faith"! Scripture tells us Jesus marveled only twice, and both times it was due to faith.

The first was evidenced in the centurion who came to Jesus, beseeching that He would heal his servant who was grievously tormented with the palsy (Matt. 8:5-6). "Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him." (v. 7) But the centurion acknowledged, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." (v. 8) The centurion realized the power and authority Christ had (v. 9), but he also knew how unworthy he was of the Lord's very presence in his own house. His faith in Jesus was so great that, "When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." (v. 10) And Jesus healed the centurion's servant with only a word, just as the centurion believed He would! This passage tells us a lot; the Lord marvels at great faith. This believing centurion's example inspires me. Truly our Lord is gracious and full of compassion!

Yet Christ marveled a second time. Jesus was "in his own country," teaching in the synagogue on the sabbath day, "and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?" (Mark 6:2) The people who heard the Son of God preach were astonished! They ridiculed His power and wisdom! They continued their gossiping (in the house of God, no less--what gall!), "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him." With their "teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives" (Prov. 30:14), this faithless group slandered Jesus Christ! They didn't believe such mighty works could be wrought in the hands of a common, lowly carpenter. He said to them, "A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them." Because of the people's unbelief in His sovereignty, His works and miracles were hindered in this place, the very place He lived up until He began His earthly ministry. He healed only a few sick folk! Just think of what mighty things Christ would have done had they but believed!!! Here we see, "And he marvelled because of their unbelief."

Faith is the only thing that caused Christ to marvel: Great faith or no faith, as His disciples on the raging sea. We can trust Him! He is mighty! He is willing and ABLE to do "great and mighty things which thou knowest not" if we will but call in faith! (Jer. 33:3)

Which one will we be? Will Jesus marvel at us in the storms we face this year... this month... this week... Will He marvel at us today? Will He do great and mighty things for us, or will His amazing acts be hindered because we fear the storm and chose not to trust Him?

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.