"BLOWIN IN THE WIND"

 I am definitely showing my age by using Bob Dylan's song in my title.  Classic Rock!  Speaking of classic, we have had a classic Northwestern front blow into the Long Star State in the last two days.  Night and day the wind has howled --to the point it kept me awake during the night.  If you live in the middle of Texas, you are caught between---cooking in the warm months and being frozen during the few winter months.  Most of the time---because Fort Worth is on the edge of the "hill country" which borders the flat Western plain- these fronts are ushered in by strong air currents.  In case you didn't know, those air currents are wind.  In the next 10 days our weather fluctuates from the upper 60's to single digits---from sunny and mild--to perhaps snowy and frozen.  Strong air currents are allowed to usher in upper level lows (I should get a job as a weather forecaster) as they fly across flat West Texas.  There is nothing to stop the advance---since a great deal of West Texas is as flat as a flitter.  (If you doubt that---drive from Fort Worth all the way to New Mexico.)

  The windows in my apartment face north and I began to feel as if I should have been named Dorothy.  There seemed to be a real possibility of being blown away.  Gust after gust rattled the windows while whistling and howling the night away.  The National Weather Service has issued a "WIND ADVISORY" for our area, in addition to the "Winter Weather Advisory".

Are you scratching your head and wondering why I am writing about the weather?  Stick with me--I am about to reveal my hand.  

When I lived in Ruston, we did not have theses long wind advisories days/weeks (except for the occasional hurricane remnants or stray tornado).  Ruston is in the hill country of North Louisiana and those beautiful hills also serve as protection when fronts advance.  When the jet stream hits those ups and down in the terrain---it serves to slow the force down.  It gives us protection from the elements.  The hills of Fort Worth start mid city.  By the time you drive to the western side of the city---you have arrived in the flat plain of West Texas.  There is little or no protection from the advancing line of the fronts which travel west to east in the USA.  We are sitting ducks for Mother Nature to give us a good pounding.  BUT Mid Fort Worth east, the hills begin to appear and the friction created by the winds hitting those hills works to slow it down.  It provides protection from the elements.

The Word contains many examples of protection afforded to man by natural and man made barriers.  Walls around cities, line of armies, fellowship of others, houses, and on and on.  God also faithfully provides spiritual protection form the enemy.  All we need do is call upon Him and seek His help.  He will provide barriers to stop the strong winds of the enemy, and keep us safe from his attack.  The hills of the Lord will surround those who call upon His name.  We can be protected from the jet stream of evil by God's righteous right hand.  HE is our Deliverer and Refuge.

"For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with His pinions,

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler."

Psalm 91:3-4