the snow

it snowed in houston today. all day. businesses and schools were closing like crazy. i thought for sure that i wouldn't be so lucky, but i was. in passing, ted tells me that i can leave at 2pm! however, my excitement was met with the wonderment of how i would get home...the bus doesn't start running outbound until 3:30pm.

hark! an email was sent just about that time announcing that at 12:30pm metro started their park and ride runs in response to all the early releases. a few rounds on the floors to check in with the staff, and i was off.

the snow is still coming down. i get on the rail and arrive at my bus stop at 2:20pm. it's cold. brrrr. 2:30pm comes and goes. it's still cold. oh, they're just running a little late. 2:45pm comes and goes. brrr. my gloveless hands are turning very cold. 3:00pm comes and goes. now i am getting really anxious and popsicle-like. the waiting is frustrating.

as i waited, not knowing when it was going to end, i actually thought about advent...something i've been talking about for a while...the season of waiting with anticipation...it was made real for me. i thought about how hard it is to wait. how painful it can be. but then i realized that i was waiting for something that i knew would come, and it made it a little more bearable. i knew that a bus would eventually come and take me home to a warm house with food in the refrigerator and clothes in the closet. it made me sad on two levels. i was sad that not everyone has a warm place to go on days like this. i was very aware of those across the street who were hugging the wall in hopes of finding warmth. i am praying about how i need to respond. and, i was sad that not everyone waits with such hope. i want to be a messenger of hope even more now. those moments of waiting actually turned out to be very meaningful for me.

i hope that we all find meaning in the waiting this advent.

oh, the bus finally came at 3:30pm. i am just now thawed out, smelling yummy tortilla soup, and waiting for friends to come over to play wii and bananagrams. what a gift.