Ya know how in some movies they show something moving at "normal speed" while the background just flies by? I had that happen to me today - I was the one at normal speed. I was buying gas for my car. It wasn't that I was particularly slow in doing it, on the contrary our station has credit card pay-at-the-pump service. It was just that I was filling my tank with 9 whole gallons. Everyone else was flying in, putting a few gallons in red/silver/orange gas cans, whizzing away. I really felt like I was slow, particularly when a car pulled up behind me impatiently got into another lane, then still got their gas and left before I did because the guy in front of him was buying just a couple gallons, too.

I've also lived in this town for 8 years and never knew there was parking behind our grocery. There are about 50 spaces out in front of the store and I've never gone there and seen them all filled-until today. Further, my Saturday ruffled hair work clothes appearance gets me looks perfectly coifed other shoppers, but today people of my ilk were the norm and even those who primp and fuss before leaving the house looked haggard from rushing around.

Big storm coming, maybe as many as 20 inches predicted for my small town, and it's due in few hours from now. I say that because you may not be reading this tomorrow (if church services get cancelled) and it may not make sense whenever I do get around to using this as a bulletin. Brian Kerouac wrote me a dandy one to use for today, but I'm saving it until a time when he gets exposure of his very fine effort (my choice, not his.)

There's an obvious thought to be made here, at least obvious enough to me that it comes to mind immediately. Everyone is getting ready for what the weather man called the storm of the season, but what if it was instead the end of the world? How would that be different, if we thought that event was mere hours away?

Well, people would still rush around, but it would be pointless. If it's the end of the world, what good will food do you tomorrow? And no sense filling those gas cans, since the world is going to be burned up I think that will pretty much take care of any snow issues you might have. Yes, these storms cause people worry and anxiety, but if it was the end of the world people would run a different gambit of emotions. Anger, fear, joy, despair, expectation, relief.

Of course we won't know when the world is going to end, only God knows that. So we won't really have any warning or any chance to do anything about it. But if snowstorms worked like people would stay stocked up on food and gas all the time. They would be prepared, especially if caught unready the year before. But even with warning, when this snow comes some people are going to die. Some will have accidents or whatever and they will lose their lives. It's too bad so many are found at the ready with food and gas but caught off guard when the important stuff begins.

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And as a bonus bulletin thought today - consider what a storm brings. While we do inconvenience, think about the opportunities! Perhaps some who would not normally turn on their radios will stay at home and do so, and hear Ask The Preacher. Or a neighbor will call on us for help and we become closer to them, and doors open. Maybe some pudgy old guy will be out shoveling snow and have a heart attack and his son will honestly evaluate his own standing God for the first time in his life. We assume that it takes good things to make other good happen, but many times blessings come to us from the darkest times in our lives. when the storm isn't outside but inside our own hearts.

And when it's darkest, the sky will break and the sun will shine. Trust me, not long after this the skies will clear and the sunlight will pour down on us. The snow will glisten and shine enough to hurt your eyes. It's like the promise in the rainbow, a reminder that God has not forgotten us and if we obey him then even the darkness will run and our lives can also shine brightly reflecting his light. After all doesn't he make us as white as snow?

Randy