Snow Angels

Yesterday was a snow day!

Yesterday was a snow day for us. Like most Southern children, mine were excited beyond words. We don’t have snow very often in Georgia, so it never loses that “new car smell.” It usually hangs around for a day or two and melts away as quickly as it came. It only takes about an inch and snowmen and snow angels can be created.

From toddlers to college students at nearby University of Georgia, snow is universally celebrated by Southern students. Unfortunately, this year, this storm, caught a lot of school officials and other administrators by surprise everywhere from Atlanta to Alabama to New Orleans.

Many schools released too late and either the buses were stuck in gridlocked traffic or the roads were already too icy to pass. Many headed back to school where some children had to remain overnight. There was a report of some 850 kids spending the night in one Atlanta school. There were 800 in a Birmingham school and 4,500 in Hoover, Alabama, just to name a few.

Meanwhile, Atlanta roads from I-85 to I-285 to I-20, became parking lots. Traffic stopped because of the ice and because of accidents. Atlanta looked like a scene from a Stephen King movie. People had to stay overnight in their cars or abandon them altogether.

The public is outraged and that’s understandable. I’m sure in the next few weeks there will be plenty of finger-pointing and blame to go around. Heads, will no doubt roll.

But, there’s something else I would like to focus on here. We are in the heart of the Bible Belt here in the South and from all accounts, Good Samaritans came out of the woodwork Tuesday night to spread love, goodwill or just to lend a hand.

Let’s take a look at it through the lens of Philippians 4:8, “And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

First of all, all of those children left at the schools were warm and safe and dry. There were teachers and administrators who didn’t get to go home to their own families so that they could watch over the children entrusted to them. Those children had running water and were fed. One account had a principal playing bingo with his kids and another had them watching movies. The situation was not ideal, but the children were cared for. I hope those parents are sure to thank those teachers for their big sacrifice.

And as for the people stranded on the roads, there is account after account of people delivering hot chocolate or tea or granola bars to the stranded. People got out of their own cars to help push someone else. Home Depot, (a Georgia based company), left 26 stores open in Alabama and Georgia, so people could get out of the cold. A page called SnowedoutAtlanta, was rapidly created and people opened their homes to complete strangers, stuck in traffic nearby.

Churches opened their doors and one in Canton, Georgia served barbecue to 18 stranded motorists. A police officer helped to deliver a healthy baby girl in a car, on the side of the road. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors. In my humble opinion, my fellow Southerners passed with flying colors. Ya’ll made Jesus proud!

What do you think about our Southern snow angels? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂