Thaw

We had a big snowstorm in Ohio at the end of last week and into the weekend. Where we live it looked like about six inches of snow. To the north and west of us there was a snowfall of over twenty inches. Someone asked me how I was planning to get the snow off the driveway. I told them I intended to wait for it to melt. Most of it did melt on Sunday, and a lot more disappeared today.

We had church on Sunday with less than half of the usual numbers. In our county there was a level 2 snow emergency (only essential driving). I put a message on the church answering machine saying that services would be held, but asking people to come only if they were sure they could travel safely. It is, of course, almost impossible for a minister to cancel a Sunday service. Only a huge groundswell of concern from the members will allow a service to be cancelled, and those voices are not often heard. So I carefully made my way down the snow packed hill near our house on Sunday morning. There were no cars driving on the main highway, but I saw a few people moving by the time I got to town.

I used all my minister jokes for big snows. My favorite one is: "We Presbyterian ministers have the same motto as the Coast Guard. 'We have to go out, but we don't have to come back.'" Someone actually Googled this a couple years ago and told me I was wrong. I did further research and learned that it is the unoffical motto of the Coast Guard. Whatever it is, it is fun for me to say to people when I have been driving at a time I should have stayed home.

By Sunday afternoon the thaw was underway. It is feeling a lot like the end of winter. A few flowers (crocuses) are emerging, and we may have seen the last big snow. It is a good feeling. Easter is less than two weeks away (very early this year).

Life is busy now, but most of what I am doing seems worthwhile. I hope you feel the same.