Frank J. Buchman

Cowboy • Horseman • Writer

Treacherous Weather Overpowered By Blessings

Everybody has an ice and snow story, but abundant blessings haven’t shared the news.

While many would argue, and there are exceptions, vast majority of the weather calamities ended with far more blessings than catastrophes. Hardship is terrible until compared to how much worse be possible. Count the blessings.


Ice knocked down thousands of limbs, and power was off for five days. Propane provided heat, yet no fan for distribution. Well pump couldn’t run and stall horses needed water, so we bucketed from a stock tank. Portable generator came just in time. No frozen water lines or structure damage and livestock remained healthy. Count the blessings.

Ice covered roadways brought travel to a standstill. We slid a few times, but stayed on the asphalt. Many fender benders were reported, with some major collisions, but overall loss was minimal. Count the blessings.

Near-blizzard conditions struck, visibility null, approaching car headed toward us and we slid into the ditch, landing at a 45-degree angle, snow half covering the car. God stopped a passing couple who gave us a ride. Sun shown after church Sunday morning as our truck pulled car out of the snow, cowboy and vehicle unharmed. Count the blessings.

Remember years ago those county road drifts higher than the truck? We had to follow the snowplow to feed before white stuff refilled tracks. Once, we were stranded in a blizzard and had to infringe on a neighbor for the night. What about the times helicopters and airplanes were used for feeding stranded livestock? Count the blessings.

Consider when the pond froze
solid, because it didn’t thaw for 30 days? Horses and cattle walked on the ice,
became stranded and died. Another time, critters went out on a half-frozen pond,
fell in and drowned. Can’t overlook the times riding horses flipped on the ice
with us underneath, and we both got up uninjured. Count the blessings.

Our greatest sympathy is for the loss of lives. Heartfelt feelings also for those without power for over a week, with heatless homes, waterless stock, frozen pipes, stalled vehicles, stranded in drifts, stopped by traffic or injured. Unending appreciation goes to line crews and highway men for their diligent efforts. Count the blessings.

Problems wearing layered clothing, being cold, fighting drifts, chopping ice, getting frozen strings off bales, draining hoses and closed cemetery roads on Christmas are unmentionably minor. Neighbor said it best: “Count the blessings, not your birthdays.”

Storm warnings came in Psalms 147:17: “He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?” Yet, blessings were promised in Proverbs 25:13: “As the cold of snow in time of harvest, so is a faithful Messenger to them; for He refresheth the soul.”

One must never question God’s plan as guaranteed in Isaiah 54:7-8: “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer”

+++ALLELUIA++

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