Gentle Whirlwind

Such a dismal, cold day in April......the two just don't fit together......April and cold/dismal. But, here we are in the midst of the misfit day, anyway.

After calf chores this morning, I helped Husband round up two steers to load on the trailer. They were an obstinate duo, unwilling to go through a wide open gate! The two big brutes would gallop up to it, and then whip around and go back the wrong way......right toward cowardly me. Being no match for them in size, I quickly clambered up and sat on top of a panel gate and stayed out of their way. I waved my arms and shouted as needed, and finally one of the steers found his way through the open gate and the other one quickly followed. Surprisingly, after their initial stubbornness, they went through the barn and onto the trailer without incident.

After Husband left, I started laundry, grabbed a cup of coffee and turned on the computer. The Church Year Calendar on the wall informed me that today is the day to remember the biblical Prophetess Huldah. So I quickly Googled her to see what I could learn. Huldah is mentioned in II Kings 22. King Josiah was having the "house of the Lord" renovated, during which was discovered an old "book of the Law". King Josiah, who wished to obey God, wanted to know more about the book. He ordered five of his advisors to "Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book.....". (My Bible's notes say that "inquire" is a technical term for divining or seeking an oracle from God.) So they went to consult with the Prophetess Huldah, who spoke the oracle of the Lord to them. Is it odd that they would seek out a woman to speak the Word of the Lord to them?

It's too cold to take a walk today. Maybe I'll just run up and down the steps here in the house for exercise. Yesterday, when I headed out to walk, I wondered if anything unusual would come my way. It's fun to be attentive out in nature.....not for divining reasons, but just because it can be very thought-provoking. And I was not disappointed. While walking along our long farm driveway, I heard a rustling in the cornfield to my right. I glanced over, figuring it was a bunch of birds on the ground. Instead, there was one of those little whirlwinds coming at me, sending loose cornstalk residue and dust swirling up into the air. Like a tornado in its embryonic stage. Soon I was enveloped in the gently whirling, swirling air and bits of debris. The mysterious phenomenon then continued on across the driveway and into a hayfield, creating short-lived circle motifs in the alfalfa as it moved along. I shivered, thinking about how things in life can be like that whirlwind. A situation, or a person, comes whirling into your path, and you are touched by the ensuing disturbance of your territory. The effect may be temporary, as with the harmless little whirlwind, or more lasting, depending on the speed and strength of the wind. Anyway, something to think about......complements of nature.

If on your path today you encounter a whirlwind.......may it be a gentle one!