Member-only story
Pandemic or Big Freeze?
A choice I made
Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, we had a big freeze here in Texas. I was snowed in, as I don’t have the type of vehicle that can handle foot-high snow drifts. However, I was fortunate as my heat did not go out and my pipes didn’t freeze. Friends were not so lucky.
Several of my friends had their pipes freeze.
I remember telling one of them she was welcome to come over with some buckets if she wanted to get water. I also let her know she could do laundry if she needed to. She was part of my pandemic bubble.
Several people who were not, however, were in dire straits.
One elderly couple from my church had their power go out. I found out about the situation while talking to my pastor. I was worried about them, but not sure it would be wise to offer them a space given COVID. But after thinking it through — I told my pastor they would be welcome to bunk down in my front room. I could let them use one bathroom while I used the other, and I could ask them to stay confined to those two areas.
I figured the danger of an elderly couple freezing to death outweighed the risk of the pandemic, particularly if we were careful.
When I made the offer, I did let my pastor know that I’d need someone to drive them as my vehicle wouldn’t…
