Did I Mention There Was Ice?

February 1, 2026

What a week! Snow, ice, really cold weather, ice, no power. ice, throwing away spoiled refrigerator food, ice, sleeping under forty-eleven blankets, ice, staying with a neighbor for a couple of days, and oh, did I mention the ice? Snow is one thing, but all that ice gets really old, really fast. For those of you old enough to remember, we had a similar ice storm in 1994. By the way, 1994 was 32 years ago…sigh. While we all faced a lot of inconvenience the past week or so, I also saw a lot of things that warmed my heart. I saw neighbors helping neighbors. I saw people checking up on each other. Marie and I spent a couple of days with Mrs. Evelyn’s brother, Johnny, who also invited Evelyn’s son, Don, to stay at his house, too, because, like us, Don’s power was out as well. Johnny must be living right because his power came back on a couple of days before ours did. As I write this on Thursday, January 29, my mom still doesn’t have power at her house, but thankfully, my sister does, so my mom is staying with her and my brother-in-law. A few of our church members still don’t have power restored, but they all either have a generator or are staying with friends or relatives, so, as far as I know, everybody is thankfully safe and warm. I learned a few lessons during this adventure. First, I realized I take some things for granted. Things like flipping a little switch and instantly having light, or being able to get in my truck and drive where I want to, when I want to. Being able to heat my food is a blessing I often take for granted, although that cold baloney sammich was mighty fine. This ice storm also reminded me that it’s ok to ask for help. Most of us, especially most of us men, are taught to be self-sufficient, pull up our boot straps and fix whatever needs fixing, but sometimes, we just can’t, and it’s ok to ask others to help us. On the flip side of that equation, just like we all need help sometimes, we also all have opportunities to help others. God blesses us not so we can store up those blessings, but so we can bless others. The long-range weather forecast calls for pretty cold temperatures for the foreseeable future, so bundle up, stay safe, count your blessings, ask for help when you need it, and look for ways to help others.

Be blessed and then go be a blessing . . . Bro. Andy