How I Feel About Cold Weather

Cold weather is a trigger for me.

How do you feel about cold weather?

After several years of working in homeless ministry, extreme weather—hot or cold—has taken on a nuanced meaning for me. Especially, cold weather.

You see, at the Dallas homeless outreach I worked at we ran an inclement weather shelter anytime the temperature dropped below freezing between 5pm and 5am. This made for an interesting experience to say the least.

For example, in February 2021, during “Snowmageddon”, our organization, in collaboration with several other organizations, operated the largest temporary emergency shelter in the history of our state. We served over tens of thousands of meals and handed out an equal amount of resources like blankets, clothes, and shoes. Due to the fact that we were sheltering nearly 2,000 people who didn’t really want to be cooped up in a building and who didn’t all like each other, things got a bit testy at times. With no one having really ever done what we were doing, there was no textbook and no written instructions for what to do. We had to make decisions in the moment, even though we often didn’t know where our next meal was coming from until it arrived. It meant we, as Christians, had to simply trust the Lord in all things and at all times. The ceiling caved in, the toilets overflowed, people lost limbs due to frostbite, and since we were in the throes of the Pandemic, we had to test for COVID and isolate several people, all while making everyone feel loved.

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but let your heart keep my commandments,
²for length of days and years of life
    and peace they will add to you.

³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
    bind them around your neck;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So you will find favor and good success
    in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
⁷Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty,
    and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
    or be weary of his reproof,
¹²for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
    as a father the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 3:1-10 ESV

It was such a beautiful thing to see the Lord come through for us time and time again.

Meanwhile, while I was living down at the Dallas Convention Center with about 2,000 of my closest homeless friends, my wife, Terri, was hunkered down at home trying to make due without power and keep our fur babies safe, as well as look after her parents next door. This went on for nearly two weeks.

Since then, we operated several more emergency shelters. Experiencing all the inhumanity eventually takes its toll, which is why I found myself tapping out.

Hence, cold weather for me is a trigger. One I am working to overcome.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to drop a comment below.

Praying you live well and love well.

Until my next post…

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™