Frosty Mountain Morning

An arctic freeze plunged northern Idaho to record low temperatures over the weekend. Saturday started the rifle elk and deer season and Ardella has an elk tag so we got up at five o’clock to find a bull elk. We slept in the cabin on Friday night and kept the wood stove full so the cabin was quite toasty. The thermometer registered 14 degrees as we walked away from the warm cabin and the stars were brilliant in the predawn night. A half moon bathed the forest in light so I knew the elk had taken advantage of the moon to feed all night.

We tried to walk silently but the frozen ground was like walking on popcorn. Ardella and I trekked into the north wind as we made our way up an old road in heavy timber then out into a grassy clear cut. We sat down to watch an area where elk have been feeding recently but there was no sign of the tan bodies we hoped to see. The cold penetrated through our clothing and soon our feet were tingling. Some coyotes yapped to the north and later I heard wolves howling about a mile above us. The forest usually gets very silent once wolves announce their presence.

The sun was rising way too slowly on this cold morning. First, the Selkirk Mountains thirty miles west were bathed in light and the sun crept its way across the valley. It was nearly eight thirty before we felt the sun hit our backs and immediately the heat penetrate the cold clothing. As the sun hit the grass in the clear cut, millions of ice crystals danced like diamonds creating a beautiful sight. I thanked God for the glory of the morning.

As the sun warms our bodies, the Son of God warms us too. Jesus is the light of the world and illuminates warmth and hope into this cold dark world. Unlike the sun, His light is permanent and available for anyone that seeks Him. Unfortunately, too many people don’t believe in Jesus and miss out on the peace He has to offer. If you have never accepted Christ into your life, take time right now to ask Him in. You won’t regret it. Jesus is ready to forgive and forget anything you have done if you ask Him. Do it now! It will chase away the cold from your soul.