The world outside my window this morning seems to be waiting. Being a mystery writer and naturally suspicious, I ask, “Waiting for what?” Roof tops and lawns are still covered with snow although most of the street is clear–most, I emphasize, because certainly there are many hazardous spots. The parking lot of a store I visited yesterday is one of those treacherous places. As I looked at it, I very nearly turned around and came back home, but finally, I decided I would push an abandoned shopping card into the store, giving me at least something to hang onto. So, maybe those thawed places are waiting for more of their snowflake brothers to come and join them, re-covering the thawed areas. It is thirteen degrees this morning, the sky is pewter-colored and I do believe more snow is in the forecast.
My brothers and I often discuss events we hear of on the news and events we think we should hear of but don’t–those things which go unnoticed by most people. For example, Oklahoma is having a whole series of very tiny earthquakes. This can be verified by looking it up on the web. In the busy-ness of living, I suppose most people don’t notice them but a few people do. Maybe Arkansas and other states have those mini-shakes too. I’ll have to check on that. Are they normal? I don’t know. I just know that they are hidden–they largely go undetected.
Sometimes we hear of things on the news or from neighbors that are only briefly mentioned but they are like the tip of an iceberg. What we see or hear is only a fraction of what is actually true. A couple of my friends reported hearing a very loud noise a couple of nights ago that sounded as if something hit the roof. When they checked, they found nothing wrong. Was it a board in the house reacting to the severe and prolonged cold weather? I remember years ago in Tahlequah, when we had an unbroken swatch of extremely frigid weather, people all over the county reported hearing pops and cracks that seemed to come above their houses. I heard them too. Something, indeed, had to cause them but the source was left to our imaginations. It was one of those unsolved mysteries.
In our last Cozy Critique, we critters were talking about things associated or having nothing to do with writing. Someone mentioned that people generally keep their true feelings, their innermost fears hidden. When we meet someone and inquire how they are and they answer, “Fine”, that may not be the case at all. Griefs, worries, doubts, fears, all may be lurking in that person’s mind, but remain unknown to anyone else.
I am grateful that, even though I don’t know what the outcome of this dark sky is going to be, the Lord knows. I am thankful that, although we only hear a bit of the frightening newscasts, God knows what is truly happening. Those small temblors, those sudden, scary noises? The Creator knows exactly if they are dangerous or not and I believe He wants us not to worry but to do the best we can, and to trust Him. And, as for our hidden struggles, or those that are not so hidden, God knows about them, He knows the cause, and He knows the remedy. What a relief! Readers of mysteries may have no idea of how the story ends, but like the mysterious twists and turns of life, the Author of the universe and all its intricacies knows exactly why they are happening and what will be the result. He is completely aware of what is visible and what is hidden. That’s good enough for me.
Very good and encouraging