When I listen to the weather forecasts, or listen to people talk, I have the feeling that it has never been cold in Wisconsin before. What is up with that?
To the best of my memory, it gets cold most every year about this time, so quit your belly aching.
The weather forecasters, with their Polar Vortex and their “chill factor” talk, make me feel colder than I normally would feel. Somehow, I already know that on a day this cold I will zip up my winter coat and be wearing mittens so thick that I can’t reach into my pocket for the keys to the van. Plus, if I didn’t lose my stocking cap, I’d have that on also.
I am even starting my van about five minutes before I leave home, so I don’t have to get into a freezing vehicle. I have a shovel in my van, a blanket and my cell phone. My stocking cap is in there somewhere, too, just have to dig it out under that other stuff. Just as I make sure to have more liquids on a hot and humid day, I make sure I am as prepared as possible for these cold and frigid days.
The other day in Shawano, I and another person had just come out of a place of business, I was zipped up, mittened up and was wearing sweat pants and a warm sweat shirt under the winter coat. I wasn’t exactly warm, but my teeth were not chattering. Not so for the other person. She had on a winter coat, but didn’t bother to zip it, plus she had no gloves. She was shivering, and chattering with cold.
All of this brought back an article I read in a newspaper a few years back. A doctor was giving tips to stay warm. Dress in layers, zip up your coat, wear mittens and a cap. I used to be like that younger woman, not bothering to bundle up, but after reading that article, I have tried to mend my ways.
Another thing that I have observed is volunteerism, and the lack of volunteers. As my friend and I were talking at the Lutheran Counseling and Family Services in Shawano, we discussed the fact that the thrift store has been open in Shawano for about 35 years. Both of us began to volunteer there one or more days a month at that time. We have gotten older, and some of the others who used to volunteer have also gotten older. Many have gotten to the point where they no longer can volunteer there, due to health reasons. That means that right now there are days where no one is scheduled to work the store, and the rest of us are trying to fill in as best we can.
The main reason the store opened was to raise enough funds to help have a full-time Christian counselor in the Shawano area. No one is turned away due to their ability to pay or insurance. Once the store opened, we also see another reason for it to be open: It is a help to those who shop at the store to be able to purchase usable, used merchandise at a low cost.
Right now, with the stretched schedule, the store is faced with the possibility of cutting hours unless more people volunteer to work there. Since the store opened, it has been staffed by volunteers from local Lutheran churches. Pretty much a different group every day. No one is paid, and all of the merchandise is donated. Donations have always been high, and we are filled up, with not enough people to sort, etc.
What is the answer? Right now the volunteers are praying for God’s guidance and the future of the store.
From Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”
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