Church
by Lois Olmstead
Snow and more snow here. My house in Clyde Park is 8 miles north of where we lived on the ranch and 20 miles from Livingston. I love living here and the drive into the church where I work is a delight, most days. This week it’s been a bit scary.
That made me think of getting my car stuck another time. It was this time of year too in 2019. You will enjoy “looking back” with me:
“We have been so blessed,” I said to my Mom. We were coming back from breakfast in Clyde Park. We were both thinking of the cold temperatures (28 below Sunday) and deep snow (47” drift at my back door). I said “I am thankful we have warm houses and groceries. I have been praying for those who don’t.”
My Mom said, “I remember one winter when it was 50 below at Wilsall. Us kids got scared because our house was making creaking noises.” We were glad to get to her house because the drifts were getting deep on the road between our two houses. I carried in her groceries, laughing, “You got ice cream when it’s this cold?” Then, “See you later, I’ll call when I get to work.”
I was thinking about being blessed and not thinking about my driving and got my car, Gracie, royally stuck! I tried reverse and drive and did not move an inch. There is a circle drive in front of my folks’ log house, always a great place for snow to drift and it did.
I tried to open my car door. I couldn’t. The snow was up to my door handle. I was trapped in my car 600 feet from my house! I kept pushing against the drift until I could squeeze out the door. I could not move my legs in the snow. “I need some help here, Lord,” I panted as I inched and pushed and squished myself between Gracie and the snow and got out.
As I walked down the tracks we had made coming in, I said, “Lois if you had been paying attention…” My dad and He-Who-Took-Long-Steps taught me to “gun it when I got in trouble” but that I did not do. I forgot. Drats.
Mom’s Ford pickup with 4-wheel drive was in my garage. My house is closer to the road out. It was our exit strategy plan. I drove in our tracks close to Gracie, paying attention this time. Dad and He-Who would have been glad. I got my laptop and purse out of the car and drove to town—then called Ross.
Ross moved to Livingston when his dad and my dad went to heaven within a few weeks of each other. His job is with NAPA but his ‘calling’ is helping us on the ranch. Some days, like today, I wonder if he wonders “What was I thinking?” He said he’d come out after work and get me unstuck. I said I’d be late getting home because of my tax appointment at 4 pm.
What could be a better day? Getting stuck and doing taxes? I parked Mom’s truck beside the church still feeling blessed—really! I know some people don’t even have a car, let alone a ‘spare’ pickup. And I’m glad my brain still works to get my tax stuff ready to be done.
March 12th, next month, is He-Who’s birthday. Today is Day 1042 since he went to heaven. I miss him so much. He loved weather stuff. His daily journals are notes full of wind speeds, rain, snow and river depths he kept. This deep snow (and “Lois got stuck”) would have been noted.
He would have shook his head and laughed. He would have been at the tax office with me. And he would understand that you can be stuck and still feel blessed! Let’s read I Corinthians chapter 13 for our Bible reading this week in honor of He-Who and Mom and Dad. Looking back in the midst of the snow!
I am still blessed!