Cold Snap Thoughts

Jan 31, 2019

I went to bed last night having seen that the outside temperature was -3℉. This morning, it was up to 2℉ when I drove to work. Before it started, my car made the same sound I did before my morning coffee. I dressed in layers even inside last night. I put an extra blanket on my bed and wore my thermal underwear and socks to bed. The bed is right next to windows. I, and most of the covers, woke up on the side of the bed furthest from the windows. I turned the heat down less overnight than I had been doing. National Grid will love sending me the next bill. Still, the apartment is a little cooler than normal. Things in PA are hard for my wife and daughter. The heating are supplemented with a space heater and they are also dressing in layers. They left the water dripping in the kitchen sink and have a heat tape on the water line from the well across the basement. Nonetheless, I got word today that they have no water. It’s probably a freeze in the pipe coming from the well to the house. The end result of all this fighting back against the cold? I’m warm. My PA family is warm. They have heat and places to sleep with my daughter or friends where water is running. Their house is about as comfortable as can be without setting something on fire. Eventually we hope the water line thaws without breaking. We will all wake up in the morning, put on warm clothes, eat something hot for breakfast, and cope with the single digit temperatures outside. Not everyone is so lucky. Some folks don’t have decent clothes to help the chill off their bodies. Some folks have no heating source to keep them warm tonight. Some folks don’t even have anywhere to go to get out of the cold or find running water. God forgive me when I complain about inconveniences when there are so many who don’t even have what they need to survive. Rev. Bill Schram began his ministry with Westminster in March and is the current Interim Minister. Bill attended McCormick seminary in Chicago and met his wife Jenny there. They have served as co-pastors and in separate positions. He has served churches in urban, near suburb, small town, county seat towns in various positions such as pastor, associate pastor, interim pastor, and hospital chaplain. He and Jenny have two natural and one foster daughter. Delightfully, they now have a granddaughter to enjoy.

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