To snow or not to snow

We British traditionally love to talk about the weather, and there's certainly been plenty of weather to talk about these last few days! We certainly don't cope at all well with snow - a few inches and the whole country grinds to a halt. Personally, I quite enjoy snow: a good covering of the stuff transforms any landscape. When there's snow about it seems to change people's outlook somehow, and it can lifts people's spirits.

Of course there can be drawbacks. Broken limbs, accidents, closed schools, major traffic jams and, worst of all, postponed football matches! The snow we've had these past few days has provoked comparison with severe winters of years gone by. One particularly bad winter which has been mentioned was in 1963, and I remember it well. I was then 8 years old, living with my family in the small East Yorkshire village of Keyingham. We were cut off from the outside world for a few days, and it was great fun! The snow drifts went well above my height.

One of the benefits of the recent snow has been the great reduction in road traffic. Many people have chosen to either stay at home, walk, or use public transport. It's been so much quieter. One day this week I walked into town. My route took me across town fields, a lovely area of grassed open space nearby. It is a regular route into town, and usually there is a well-worn track caused by the regular pressure of steps. Not so this week, for the area was covered with snow.

By the time I walked across, it was clear that many people had already been on town fields. The one normally clear track was not to be seen; instead, there were very many tracks going in all sorts of directions. As I stood and looked at the scene (see pic - I had my camera with me!) I thought about the many different choices we face in life. There are so many voices out there telling us which way to go, which life choices to make.

When Jesus called his first disciples, he simply said 'follow me'. My prayer is that as I walk through this year, face choices, hear conflicting voices, and see all the possible tracks ahead, I will be able to hear clearly the voice of Jesus, walk in his way, and make choices which honour him. In a sometimes frightening world, the safest place to be is hand-in-hand with Jesus.