Outside Beauty

 Good afternoon, and welcome to this, a Friday edition of the Thursday Thought.  That may at first sound a little strange, but I didn't have a chance to write or record the thought yesterday...so am doing it now.

This week was the week of the big snow in South Central Kansas.  Last weekend we received over three and a half inches of ice and snow.  Yesterday, Thursday, we received another six inches or so of the white stuff.  It's like another world out there.  Sights like this in the Wichita area are all too infrequent, although I'm sure there are many who would rather not have to deal with any of it.

We lost power at our place last Sunday morning, but only for an hour and a half or so.  Others weren't so fortunate and were off for several hours.  We were otherwise fine and comfortable just being in the house for the weekend, and for part of the day on Monday.  I did venture out to work Monday if for no other reason than to check up on the church building to be sure all was OK there, as we didn't have services Sunday and the heat was on, but was set minimally at 50 degrees.  It was cold and windy that weekend, and I wanted to be sure things were OK.  They were.

I stayed for a couple of hours and did some work in the office.  In that time there were two unhoused gentlemen who came to the door at different times.  One who we know as Rocky, needed a few snack items and to warm up a bit.  I let him in, got him some snacks, asked if he needed anything else, and he went on his way.  He had what seemed to be a good amount of clothing and coats on, and looked to be OK.

The second gentleman who I didn't know also needed some snacks.  Normally, we don't hand out food from the office door, but because of the weather and my not thinking to put food into the Paxton's Blessing Box outside the door, I got him some things as well.  I also invited him in to warm up a bit.  He too seemed to be in good shape and had good clothing.

I have a background in emergency health care and did quick assessments of each of them while they were inside because of the cold.  I didn't want to send them back out if they were suffering from the cold...but each of them seemed OK and denied having any issues with the cold when I asked.

After they left, I put food into the blessing box along with a pair of gloves and some hand warmers and water.  That was gone before long, so I refilled it before I left the office.  Much of the time, the things we put into the box don't stay there very long.  They generally are taken by the next unhoused person who comes by and looks into the box.  We can't obviously fill the box except during times when we are at the office, so it goes empty much of the time.  Our office hours are approximately 9am to 4pm five days a week, but can vary depending on other responsibilities we may have away from the office, the weather conditions, or some other reason.

Putting a lot of food in the box doesn't help because the next person who comes by will empty the box whether it has a lot or a little in it.  I get it because their next meal may well not be assured, so they take what is there in order to have maybe two or three meals ahead.  However, we normally put only enough in there for just one meal so more can take advantage of the limited amount of food we have available to give.

The Thursday snowfall was much different from the one last weekend.  The Thursday snow was wetter and came down with virtually no wind to blow it around.  Everything is covered, and the temperatures outside today are at about freezing, so kids can go outside in the sun and somewhat milder air and enjoy the snow.  It is these kinds of snow days that don't come often enough.  Much of our winter snows are accompanied by ice, or wind, or bitter cold.  This one, however, was just right.

Not much else is going on at the Plank home this week.  My thoughts are centered on nature, the beauty of the snows and the pleasure of watching the various kinds of birds attack the bird feeder on our deck.  The occasional squirrel manages to sneak some sunflower seeds and peanuts as well.  Lots of juncos, cardinals, bluejays, and several sparrows, usually the harris sparrows, along with titmice, black capped chickadees, sometimes a red bellied woodpecker, and even once in awhile I think I've seen a house finch or two.  There are also a few doves that come in, chase everyone else away, and just seem to park there eating.  I let them stay awhile, then chase them away to give others a chance.

May your weekend be safe, pleasant, and enjoyable, and above all, may we all glorify God and praise Him for the beauty that is ours to behold outside.

 

Blessings.