“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
When the calendar rolled over to June 2020, Gus, my little schnauzer canine child, returned to guard duty at the house. I resumed work at the office after sheltering in place and working from home because of the pandemic.
The morning turned very dark outside as the wind whipped into a frenzy, stripping leaves and branches from trees and wrestling electrical wires from their poles. The remnants of what was once Hurricane Cristobal passed through Wisconsin, and it also produced torrential rainstorms in southern Michigan where we lived. The storm passed, and by the end of the day the sun shone.
Thankfully, Gus wasn’t the kind of dog that feared storms. He would run to the window, wondering what the commotion was all about. He enjoyed great storms just as much as I still do. He just didn’t like being outside in them. After all, at eleven weeks old, I brought him home in the remnants of Hurricane Ike in September 2008.
By the time I arrived home, I had already heard that we were without power in the little mobile home park where we lived. Downed trees and branches stopped me from driving to our house. I had to park on the road and walk. As I ambled through the neighborhood, I looked at the damage. All the people were fine. Only one home had a small amount of roof damage.
I dropped my things at the house, put Gus’s leash on him, and we went to take a stroll. We walked around behind the house, and my chin dropped to the ground as my feet came to a halt. The strength of the storm brought down only part of a very tall tree, and it fell within just a few short feet from our bedroom wall.
I hurried Gus back inside so I could pick up the tape measure because I wanted to know the dimensions. Praise the Lord that only about 60% of the tree broke off and fell, leaving the tall trunk still standing. If it had fallen like many trees do in a storm, it would have tumbled, pulling the roots from the soil. My bedroom would have been fully demolished. I told my landlord that I was grateful to God that the tree had fallen as it did. He wasn’t as appreciative of the circumstances because he could only think about cleaning up the mess.
A few months later, in September of that year, I was leaving for church on a Sabbath morning. Some of my neighbors had gathered under the carport next door for their morning coffee and conversation. I waved as I went by.
“Hey, Debi, did you hear that tree fall during the night?”
“Where?”
“Back there behind your house.”
I waited until I returned home to walk Gus and examine what had happened. Sure enough, another from the same stand of trees fell in the same manner just as the other had fallen three months prior. This time God protected us, even as we slept.
Between September 2020 and January 2024, God orchestrated my retirement and called me to move to Washington State. Gus and I arrived with our 47-foot rig on July 6, 2022. We rented a secluded, tree-laden property that felt like we were living in a national park.
Many of the tall trees on the property lean, seemingly in preparation to tumble. Some of them would block the driveway upon toppling from their precipice. On Tuesday, January 9, 2024, a wind storm whipped through. Leaning trees and big wind—not a good combination.
On Wednesday, as I descended the 19% grade driveway, I noticed a different pile of branches among the trees. On Thursday, I realized that it was a new heap of branches. I noticed a tall tree trunk. Chainsaw-wielding angels cut the branches in pieces and piled them next to the driveway, where the tree remnants didn’t bother anyone. Thankfully, God blessed yet again, as I had no one to come and clear the driveway from a fallen tree.
Call to Action
Sometimes, it’s hard to know when God is at work, but be watchful of unusual events, even everyday events that may bring about remarkable circumstances. Especially pay attention to the outcome. The next time you find yourself wandering in life’s wilderness or hardship crosses your path, will you trust God to furnish your needs at every turn?
All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
