Devotionals for the Heart: A Life Lesson Learned in a Texas Snowstorm

Nothing Surprises God
A devotional by Kathleen Rouser

“No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

–Romans 8:39 (NLT)

As my husband Jack and I stepped outside of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport terminal, a blast of chilly air hit us. Regardless of the hint of inclement weather, we thought: We’ll still have a good time and find some fun things to do. We’re here to visit our son.

A little abnormally cold weather wasn’t going to ruin my long-awaited special birthday trip. God gave us the window of time where it worked out for all of us. I’d just thought we’d have a break from our usual February dreariness in Michigan. Instead, we met with a record storm of snow and ice.

We had two decent days, so we had some time to see where our son lived and to do a little sightseeing. Then came the ice and unprecedented snowfall. Each day the weather grew more frigid, and the ice and snow continued. In Michigan they know how to handle snow, but in Texas they were completely unprepared—no plows, no salt, water pipes buried too shallow to deal with the freezing cold weather.

We planned on being there for five days, but our return flight was canceled and even our rescheduled flight was canceled, so we were there for ten. Next, we lost water pressure in our hotel room. All stores and restaurants were closed. Amid all of this, our credit card had been hacked and our son got sick. My thyroid medication was running out. I began to ask God, “Why?”

When our first flight was canceled, I started a list of blessings on my memo app to help me keep perspective. Since we were only going to be gone a few days, I hadn’t packed a notebook. I wanted to write my thoughts down on paper. There wasn’t even a notepad in the hotel room, due to COVID-19. I went to the front desk to see if they had anything. The manager brought me a small notebook with a pen. The Lord provided! I could now write down my thankfulness journal.

The hotel brought dinner into the hotel each evening that we were stuck there and unable to get food, while everything was closed. They provided boiled water for brushing our teeth, and we could take pool water up to fill the toilet tank. Somehow, with our few snacks left we had enough to eat. However, for some reason when I awoke in the wee hours of Thursday morning, the day after we lost water, panic consumed me. I couldn’t sleep. Please pardon my dramatic flair, but all I wanted was to return home where they knew how to handle snow, and to not be stuck in a hotel room without running water. Father, I prayed silently, I just want to go home.

Then in His still, small voice He said, "I am your home." Why hadn’t I realized that? What was I worried about? Even if the worst-case scenario happened and I somehow died, I would be with the Lord when He takes me to Heaven (the real home for everyone who follows Jesus Christ). And with that peaceful thought, I returned to sleep.

Later that morning we managed our way through the ice and snow to our son’s house for food and showers and – best of all – to see him. God cared for us in many ways that week. And early on Saturday morning we were finally able to fly to Detroit.

Though our time in Texas didn’t go the way I expected, it didn’t surprise the Lord. It’s a comfort to know wherever I go and in whatever the circumstances, I am home, with my Father (God). As Colossians 3:2-3 (NLT) says, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Let’s Pray: Dear Father, thank you that wherever I go and whatever I do, You are with me. Thank You for providing for me so lovingly, even in times of difficulty. Help me to trust You more with all the details of my life, knowing that each day I can rely on your loving care. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Kathleen Rouser is the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan. She is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary Christian romance.

Kathleen is a longtime member in good standing of American Christian Fiction Writers and a current member of Novel Academy. She has loved making up stories since she was a little girl.

She was so enthralled with the books her Mom read to her she wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She’s in the grip of God’s grace and is a fan of the three Cs—cats, coffee, and chocolate.

Kathleen is proud to be the mother of three adult children and mother-in-law to one. She is a former homeschool instructor, a mild-mannered dental assistant, and current Community Bible Study kids’ teacher.

Kathleen lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of thirty-some years, and two sweet cats who found a home in their empty nest.

Her writing is represented by Linda S. Glaz of the Hartline Literary Agency.

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Connect with Kathy:
Website: https://kathleenrouser.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathleenRouser
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rouserkathy/
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7427871.Kathleen_Rouser
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