In the “small town news” file, this story made the front page!

Evelyn Ferland’s Valentine’s Day gift came two days early this year after the 70-year-old Newington resident woke up Thursday morning to find a giant heart shape had frozen into her backyard pond.

Ferland, along with eight other women in her Bible study group, all fell witness to the spectacle Thursday and have each deemed it to be “a Valentine’s Day miracle.”

I love the “fell witness to the spectacle” rather than “saw”, and “deemed it to be” instead of “called it”. Gotta have the right miracle language, after all.

Even Denise Williams-Labbe, 47, said she believes the formation of the heart shape was a gift from God.

“God made it and gave it to her (Ferland) as a Valentine,” she added.

Because Ferland’s home is located near the Pease Tradeport and planes carrying troops fly over the property all the time, Labbe said she believes the godly creation could be a special gift for the troops as well.

Ah, well, there you have it. It all makes sense now.

When Evelyn Ferland glanced out of her window
The ice on her pond looked a little bit odd;
In perfect proportions, a heart on the surface—
A valentine message, delivered by God.

Eight women, who gather to study the Bible
At Evelyn’s cabin each Thursday, agreed:
The image was clearly a Valentine Miracle;
God was the one who accomplished the deed.

The valentine sits where the planes fly above it,
Where troops from the tradeport could see it below.
One woman believes that’s the point of the message—
So soldiers can see that God loves them, you know.

How sweet, that this kind and omnipotent being
Should carve such a message, a beautiful heart
To lighten the spirits of soldiers returning
From war-zones, where God must refuse to take part.

I picture a soldier, returning from duty
Who looks out to see a heart, carved in the ice—
He scratches the stump where his leg once continued,
And knows that God loves him, and murmurs “how nice.”

Omnipotent God could bring peace to the people,
Iraq, or Afghanistan—far, far, beyond—
But God, it appears, is too busy to do it;
He’s carving a miracle heart on a pond.