An Obtrusive Visitor

Our area of Iowa has been taken over by an obtrusive visitor.......the weather! Just in time for holiday travel, several inches of new snow has arrived, along with plenty of strong wind to blow it around. Our church service was cancelled this morning, as were many others in the rural areas of our corner of the state. We probably wouldn't have made it to church anyway, with a driveway full of snow that can't be cleaned out until Husband gets done with all the livestock chores.

Yes, Sundays can be difficult on the farm, even in good weather. Cows don't take the day off------they still need to be fed, milked, and cleaned up after. By the time Husband has seated himself in church on Sunday mornings, he has milked 80 cows, and fed them and all the other cattle on the place. I can't swallow the idea that our eternal salvation is dependent on having passable roads and a driveable vehicle to get us to the church building at a certain time so we can hear the pastor's voice proclaiming the Word of God to our ears. But, orthodox Christianity seems to teach that in a roundabout way. Praises be for the internal combustion engine and well-maintained roads! Orthodoxy works best when people live closely in a cluster right around the church building.

We know many dairy farmers who, while being church members, rarely make it to church services. Over the years, as the numbers of livestock farmers has dwindled, church services have been scheduled at earlier times to satisfy the majority of church members, who don't farm, but have many leisure and social activities to go to.......sporting events, golfing, etc. And do you think a city-raised pastor is going to have any comprehension of a livestock farmer's responsibilities and lifestyle? No way.

Anyway, enough of that belly-aching, and back to the weather........we have been effectively snowed-in all day. Of course, we can still walk to the barn to do chores, but driving anywhere is pretty much out of the question. After our noon meal, the guys were watching the Bears vs Packers game on TV, and Daughter and I covered up with a blanket in the chilly north room and watched a DVD movie, "Flight 93". I had bought it for the family for Christmas, but we opened it early so we'd have something to do on this snowy afternoon. We knew the movie would be sad, and it was, but it was very well done, telling the story in a matter-of-fact way. Clearly, I remember that morning of Sept.11, 2001, being glued to the TV watching the burning World Trade Towers and listening to speculations on where that final hijacked plane might be headed. Then we heard of the plane crashing in western Pennsylvania, and the incredible facts that emerged. In the movie, the air traffic control room scenes are intense, as, of course, are the final moments on the airplane, when the passengers stormed the cockpit. Truly, I consider it one of the most moving and heroic events of my lifetime.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I wouldn't really care if we were still snowed-in, although my married daughter and her husband are supposed to drive up here from the Des Moines area, so I guess I should be praying for the snow and wind to subside.