During our mid-winter break last February, my wife and I drove to Michigan to
see our son. Anyone who drives in that direction from the south at that time of year can expect weather more wintry than what we are used to around here. So, by the time we reached Louisville, there was snow drifted in ditches and areas out of direct sunlight. By the time we reached Indianapolis, the ground in the open fields was mostly covered, and piles and ridges remained where snow plows had been. At South Bend, the ground was completely covered by 3-5 inches of sn
ow, and piles several feet high were common in the parking lots. When we reached the small town where our son is going to school, side roads still had 2-3 inches of frozen slush in the center of each lane, and there was 9-12 inches of crusted snow on the ground
Our son lives about 12 miles inland from Lake Michigan. When the lake is not completely frozen over (typically) and the wind is blowing form the west or northwest (almost always), the moist air condenses to form clouds over the colder ground. Consequently, it is unusual to have sunny days during the winter. If the temperature is below freezing, one can expect frozen stuff to come from the clouds. So we were not surprised when we arrive to find it overcast, temperature at 31 degrees F, and quite windy. The first place we went was the women’s dormitory to pick up the key to our guest room. My wife’s only words as she got back into the car were, “I don’t miss this weather at all.”
Our first four years of teaching were spent near Flint, Michigan. Winters brought frequent snow, and sub-zero temperatures were not uncommon. Our next two years were in Oshawa, Ontario. Same story (we saw -19 F in both places). After that we moved to central Massachusetts for 14 years. Our second winter we had close to four feet of snow fall in one 24-hour period. It was typical not to see the bare ground for months at a time. From there we moved to SE Washington, where again we’d get snow storms for 8-16 inches at a ti
me, and sub-zero temperatures. So we had seen winter before the trip to Michigan last February. Even the 3/8 inches of freezing rain we got while there was nothing new to us. But between the two of us, my wife and I repeated the same refrain (“I don’t miss this weather at all”) at least a couple dozen times during a four-day visit. It is great to have a warmer place to come home to.
During the past few months, if a person turned on a TV news program, they would find themselves bombarded by coverage of Britney Spears, and if not her, O.J. Simpson. And if not him, some other celebrity who had misbehaved. Or the wild-fires in California. Or never-ending news of the carnage in Iraq. Or Darfur. Or some mall or school here in the states, or Finland, or Venezuela had experienced tragedy. Or the collapse of the environment. Or…
Revelation 21 and 22 have several verses which come to mind: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea…And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” ”Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’…And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light…And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve Him…And there shall be no night there; They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
Harsh winter weather is only one thing to move away from. I don’t know about you, but I won’t really miss this old earth, either. It’s time to go home.
Now, if I can just keep the slush from freezing on the wipers…
Dr. G
see our son. Anyone who drives in that direction from the south at that time of year can expect weather more wintry than what we are used to around here. So, by the time we reached Louisville, there was snow drifted in ditches and areas out of direct sunlight. By the time we reached Indianapolis, the ground in the open fields was mostly covered, and piles and ridges remained where snow plows had been. At South Bend, the ground was completely covered by 3-5 inches of sn
ow, and piles several feet high were common in the parking lots. When we reached the small town where our son is going to school, side roads still had 2-3 inches of frozen slush in the center of each lane, and there was 9-12 inches of crusted snow on the groundOur son lives about 12 miles inland from Lake Michigan. When the lake is not completely frozen over (typically) and the wind is blowing form the west or northwest (almost always), the moist air condenses to form clouds over the colder ground. Consequently, it is unusual to have sunny days during the winter. If the temperature is below freezing, one can expect frozen stuff to come from the clouds. So we were not surprised when we arrive to find it overcast, temperature at 31 degrees F, and quite windy. The first place we went was the women’s dormitory to pick up the key to our guest room. My wife’s only words as she got back into the car were, “I don’t miss this weather at all.”
Our first four years of teaching were spent near Flint, Michigan. Winters brought frequent snow, and sub-zero temperatures were not uncommon. Our next two years were in Oshawa, Ontario. Same story (we saw -19 F in both places). After that we moved to central Massachusetts for 14 years. Our second winter we had close to four feet of snow fall in one 24-hour period. It was typical not to see the bare ground for months at a time. From there we moved to SE Washington, where again we’d get snow storms for 8-16 inches at a ti
me, and sub-zero temperatures. So we had seen winter before the trip to Michigan last February. Even the 3/8 inches of freezing rain we got while there was nothing new to us. But between the two of us, my wife and I repeated the same refrain (“I don’t miss this weather at all”) at least a couple dozen times during a four-day visit. It is great to have a warmer place to come home to.During the past few months, if a person turned on a TV news program, they would find themselves bombarded by coverage of Britney Spears, and if not her, O.J. Simpson. And if not him, some other celebrity who had misbehaved. Or the wild-fires in California. Or never-ending news of the carnage in Iraq. Or Darfur. Or some mall or school here in the states, or Finland, or Venezuela had experienced tragedy. Or the collapse of the environment. Or…
Revelation 21 and 22 have several verses which come to mind: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea…And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” ”Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’…And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light…And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve Him…And there shall be no night there; They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
Harsh winter weather is only one thing to move away from. I don’t know about you, but I won’t really miss this old earth, either. It’s time to go home.
Now, if I can just keep the slush from freezing on the wipers…
Dr. G
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