Believe it! The snow fall was so beautiful yesterday. And this morning dawned clear and bright.
Patty and I walked into church. Two worshipers were already there, and we ended up with 10 for the 8:30 service! At the 11:00 service there were 28!
A quiet morning, of informal worship and sharing of friendship.
The building isn't crooked; just the photographer!
Wherever I’ve served, I’ve always lived within a couple miles of the church building. That’s so I can bicycle to the office as often as possible. But it’s also made it possible for me to walk when there’s snow on the ground, so I’ve never had to cancel a Sunday morning service!
I remember my first snowy Sunday, in Wilmington, Delaware. We got more than a foot of snow. At our early service that morning, there were two worshipers, besides me. One was a woman who lived in the apartment building right next to the church building. She only had to walk a half block. The other was a man who drove in from his home 15 miles away! Marvin has been an inspiration ever since. Who am I, to call off worship, when there are those so hungry to gather, that they’ll get through when even the Post Office gives up? (Actually, I guess that’s not quite the distinction it once was …)
After worship yesterday, Patty and I walked to her parents’ house and shoveled out their driveway and front walk. Then we walked home and shoveled out our driveway and front walk! I’ll walk in tomorrow morning too. My Miata is helpless in the snow. (It’s rear-wheel drive; no weight over the drive wheels; and it weighs about 500 pounds in any case.)
So — no bicycling for exercise these days, but plenty of walking.
My response is deep gratitude for my strength and health during these bonus years of life I have been given since being so sick in 2006-2007. As I was recovering, the open question was whether the lung damage would limit my activity.
In fact, it was three years ago tomorrow — February 1 — that I returned to work following my recovery!
Thanks be to God.
