As I sit here gazing out the window watching the snow fall and whip around in the 25 mile per hour winds, I remember a fond memory of when my son, Kyle, was in first grade. The elementary school my son attended was also the same school where I taught third graders.

An expectation at our school was the parents of students who lived out in the country on the main highways or the gravel roads were required to sign a form listing a safe place, or storm home, located in town where their children could go just in case they weren’t able to make it back home. Even a few town kids were required to have a storm home listed.

One blizzardy day in January (kind of like today but worse) a winter storm came upon us. Even though the district had made the decision to let the children go home early, it wasn’t quite early enough. Busses weren’t able to travel on the gravel roads so those kids who lived out in the country were being rerouted to their storm homes.

One little boy was quite worried about my son. With great trepidation, he kept repeating to his teacher “Kyle doesn’t have a storm home! He NEEDS a storm home!” Miss Wolff, a wonderful first grade teacher, gently reassured this little boy, “Kyle will be fine because his mom works at the school. Kyle doesn’t need a storm home.” That concerned little classmate didn’t buy it. He demanded Kyle go with him to his storm home so Kyle would stay safe.    

Don’t you just love that story? The innocence? The purity? I sure do. That little boy might have been anxious about my son’s safety, but his insisting on Kyle going with him to his storm home was noble, kind, admirable, and genuine love.  

Our nation…our world needs that kind of love more than ever! We need that little boy’s innocent, genuine, pure love and concern for others! Philippians 4:8 says, “⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Dear friends, let us love one another! Let us challenge each other to intentionally think about such things. Let us focus on being honorable, righteous, wholesome, commendable, extraordinary people who care for human beings because it’s the right thing to do.

Stay Calm & Find a Storm Home!
Profs Dr. Wendy & Dr. V.