A Snow Memory

The picture above was taken last night of our house as the snow fell. It was unexpected and beautiful. The weather folks said to expect a chance of snow with no accumulation. And it reminded me of my favorite snow memory.

It didn’t snow often growing up in Alabama. In fact I only remember it snowing one time on a Sunday, BUT I REMEMBER THAT ONE WELL. Dad, Jeff, Carey and I bundled up. I remember because I didn’t have to wear a suit...in fact I think we had to wear jeans because they’d be warmer. I surely looked like the little boy in “A Christmas Story”, layers of clothes and I had “those glasses”. Socks (yes, socks) on our hands, I don’t think we could afford gloves. It had to have been the early 70’s as mom and MIssie stayed home, it was too treacherous for them to try to make it. But we were going.

It was one of those beautiful mornings after a night of snow. You know the kind, where the sun reflects off the snow and it seems so bright outside. I can still remember the exact spot on the road where dad made a declarative statement. As we turned down Crestview Lane he said: “You boys will remember this day the rest of your lives. We’ll probably be the only people there today. But I want you boys to know how important it is that we make every effort to be at church regardless of the cost or effort involved.”

He was right. What I most remember is turning onto First Avenue North that morning and the parking lot coming into view...the parking lot FULL of cars many that had driven much further than we had walked!

We’ve laughed and kidded dad for years about it, but he made his point: The Lord and His church would be first in our family and nothing would stand in the way of that. And I’m thankful to this day for that.

So, what’s your favorite snow memory?