The big dig

If you’re like me, you’ve probably had enough snow this winter. What we’re left with after this second blizzard – as Fox 5 news is calling it – is The Big Dig. In an attempt to change my attitude about this latest storm, I started to think about the positives … my family and our Hope Alive families are all safe, we didn’t lose power, and we stayed warm and had plenty of food on hand.

As I thought about what else God wanted me to learn from this experience, He showed me that our resident families’ lives are similar to these snow storms. Like the blizzard conditions we saw on Wednesday, our families come to Hope Alive overwhelmed and barely able to survive their day to day struggles. Much like the mounting snow, they feel trapped, desperate and hopeless. With The Big Dig that’s required after the storm, resident families regain stability in their lives as each mom and child bravely addresses their complex issues and plows forward toward healing and recovery. They begin to believe that the storms they’ve experienced will come to an end and they find freedom from despair and hope once again. Then like the sunshine after the storm that melts the ice and snow, their lives are brighter and the pathway becomes clear with their destination in sight.

I am so proud of our resident moms and children – especially this week. Despite being confined under one roof together for days, our families had an exceptionally peaceful time together. The moms initiated art projects with the children for the upcoming Visions for Hope event in April. They worked in teams to clear the snow from the sidewalks and cars and to care for all the children. And a houseful of children actually got along – imagine that! Today they are all thrilled to get outside and have some fun!

Special thanks to Philip Millison of P&M Transmissions in Sabillasville for plowing the Hope Alive driveway and parking lot from last weekend’s storm and his work the last 3 days to clear the six foot drifts.

Until next week ... stay safe and warm ... and happy digging!

Sue Oehmig
Founder and Executive Director