Blizzard Warning

For nearly a week, the weather forecasters have been telling us we're going to get hammered wtih snow today. We're under a blizzard warning, and school is cancelled even though it hasn't even started snowing yet. It's been a long time since our area has seen a blizzard warning. This is unusual weather. The grocery stores were doing a booming business yesterday as everyone stocked up for the storm.

With all the talk about big storms, my husband suggested that I write about snow days today. I told him I had already exhausted my store of snow day ideas on all our previous snow days, but as I thought about it, I realized that a blizzard is an entirely different animal.

Did you know that back in the pioneer days, homesteaders would tie a rope from their house to the barn, so they could use the rope as a guide when the snow was blowing so hard they couldn't see? They would keep one hand on the rope so it could guide them to the barn. That rope was a lifeline. Blowing snow can blind you and get you so turned around that you don't know which you are going. If you lost contact with the rope you could wander around in circles and freeze to death just feet from your own front door.

When trials and danger come our way, God has given us a rope, too -- His word. The Bible is our lifeline to guide us through the blizzards of life. It keeps us on the path and helps us find our way home. Psalm 119:105 tells us "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." God's word offers us guidance and comfort as we weather the storm.

But, like a person in a blizzard, if we let go of the rope, we can get lost. We can be close to where we want to go and never get there because we're not following the path God laid out for us in His word.

If the blizzard is headed your way, tie a rope between your front door and a tree in your yard. When the wind is blowing crazy hard, and it's hard to see, bundle up, and have everyone put a hand on the rope. Use the rope to walk from your front door to the tree. Talk with your kids about how the Bible is like that rope. It guides us and helps us to know what to do when a storm comes in our lives.

If you're not in for a blizzard or you just don't want to get cold and snowy, tie a rope between two places in your house. Blindfold your kids and have them use the rope to get from one place to the next. Use the same explanation after you have finished the task.

If you are in the path of this storm, stay safe and warm. Find a teachable moment today and grab it. Use the storm to show your kids how to keep their hand on the rope of God's word so they can weather the storms of life.