Reflections of a SouthernYankee

Footprints

in the Snow

BY DAMIAN DESMOND

There is a fairly wellknown poem that you may have heard of called, “Footprints in the Sand.” It involves someone looking back on his life with the Lord and seeing the past represented by two sets of footprints on a beach. The man notices that during some of his most difficult times, there is only one set of footprints. Confused, the man asks God, “Why did you leave my side during my most trying times?” Lovingly, God reminds the man that he never left his side. Instead, the times when there was only one set of footprints were the times that God picked the man up and carried him. Even as a 47-year-old man, I’m not ashamed to admit that I have needed to be carried by others in my life. At seven years old, I had just been through a very confusing time. Having been raised in a loving environment by my grandparents for six years, then being betrayed by my parents in an abusive eight-month relationship, I found myself desperately needing a strong father figure. My adopted father stepped up and filled that role in my life when I needed it most.

Having spent the first six years of my life in upstate New York, I had an affinity for snow. My adopted parents lived in a quaint home nestled in the mountains of western Virginia. The house was surrounded by thousands of acres of National Forest. Throughout those woods were miles of trails—trails that in the summer served as my bike paths. In the winter months, those same trails were transformed into the paths one might find in the magical land of Narnia. Our location and elevation provided the perfect ingredients for snowstorms when they tracked up the spine of the Appalachian Mountains. Occasionally, the timing of my new father being home from work on the weekend and a nor’easter moving up the East Coast worked out just right to create one of my most cherished childhood memories.

The first flakes might begin falling around midday. Within minutes, the snow fell with more intensity and filled the air. The frozen ground quickly became coated in white. By 4:00 p.m., the sun was setting behind the mountain and a few inches of snow blanketed the ground. In preparation for our adventure, my father and I would place our boots, gloves, coats, hats, and overalls around the wood stove to warm them up. Outside, the world grew darker, but the snow reflected enough light to create a scene from a Thomas Kinkade painting. When our gear was fully warmed, we suited up to make our way into the frozen landscape outside. As we stepped out of the mudroom off the kitchen, the hushed world in white enveloped us. Neither of us spoke. We simply absorbed the beautiful scenery around us. The sound and feel of snow falling are things that you never forget: snowflakes hitting the dry leaves in the trees above, bouncing off your shoulders, landing on your eyelashes, and in my father’s case, on his red-tinged beard.

Quietly, we made our way across the yard to the path in the woods—two sets of footprints, one enormous, the other small. With our eyes adjusted to the lower light, we made our way down the path. The smell of pines and snow combined with the cold, damp air and entered our noses. Clouds of warm breath hung in the air as we trudged through the half-foot of freshly fallen snow.

If we talked at all, it was little. Now wasn’t the time for talking. Now was the time for silence and letting the sanctity of the moment sink in. Plus, one never knew when an owl might fly overhead or a startled deer might bound out of a nearby thicket. On and on we would walk, just a young boy and his father, neither, for the moment, with a care in the world. Behind us, the same two sets of footprints were being filled in by the still falling snow.

Eventually, my smaller legs would start to become weary. And somehow sensing this, my new father would place his gloved hands under my armpits and with the greatest of ease lift me high into the air upon his shoulders. The two sets of footprints now became one. With snowflakes gently kissing my face, I rode confidently and comfortably upon my father’s broad shoulders as we headed, slightly cold, but with warm spirits, back toward the inviting glow of home.

Having placed our wet gear back around the wood stove to dry, we would sit together at the kitchen table talking over cookies and milk as the storm continued to rage outside.

of a Southern Yankee

Several years later, my father’s strong legs that once carried me at a critical time in my life were crushed in a horrific accident. But that’s another story for another time.

When I needed it most, the two sets of footprints became one. We all have to be carried from time to time. And we must never let those who carried us forget how much we appreciate them. For even in our darkest hours, when we felt like we couldn’t go on any further, there was someone there to lift us up.

In & About in Winston-Salem BY HEATHER SPIVEY PHOTOS BY ELAINE GARRISON with “Christmas for the City”

As we continue living in COVID world, our holiday season was anything but normal. All of us tried to capture some degree of holiday spirit, given our circumstances. “Love Out Loud” is a local organization that faced a similar challenge this Christmas.

Love Out Loud launched “Christmas for the City” in 2008 with the goal of helping local churches connect with the community and celebrate Christmas in meaningful ways together. It began as a 3-night event at the Millennium Center that included music, crafts, art, food, and activities that were provided by local churches and organizations. In 2019 the event had grown exponentially to over 12,000 guests and 1,200 volunteers over one evening at the Benton Convention Center. Over 3,500 donated meals were served, 12 performance spaces filled the air with music, from the Parkland High School Marching Band, to theatre, to a gospel choir, to dance ensembles flowing through the hallways. The Convention Center was full of the Christmas spirit.

With all of our pandemic restrictions, Love Out Loud knew this effort was more important than ever, so they had to figure out how they could present Christmas for the City, 2020 style. I spoke with Liz Miller, Partnership Director at Love Out Loud, about how the Christmas for the City teams began planning in May 2020, all while keeping the “magic” of Christmas for the City and doing so in a safe manner for the community. Ultimately a partnership with The City of Winston-Salem, The WinstonSalem Fairgrounds, and The Drive became a Drive-Thru Christmas experience. The Drive-Thru included live music, dancing, giveaways, Chick-fil-A sandwiches, Sunshine Beverages, a collection of supplies for Senior Service’s “Remember in December” initiative and, of course, Santa! Liz explains, “After the Drive-Thru, individuals could continue to a short Drive-In service with amazing gospel music, powerful speakers, prayer, and encouragement, in a time when connection is so needed. Honks could be heard echoing as makeshift “Amens” during the service.” “The team spent just as much time leaning into health professionals for protocols and guidance as we did planning the content of the event—

“It was very well organized and I enjoyed being able to serve people, while also bringing Christmas cheer in a safe and fun format. Thank you for organizing!” ~ Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity Volunteer

“I was happy that we could still share the love of God safely, even in a pandemic. We were so happy to see others, even in our own group.” ~ Mt. Tabor UMC Volunteer

landing on guidelines for volunteer and organization distancing protocols, plenty of PPE, masks required for all volunteers and recommended for individuals driving through the experience. The Drive-Thru and Drive-In experience provided a great sense of community and togetherness without the concern of transmission.” The Presenting Sponsors of Christmas for the City 2020 were The City of WinstonSalem, The Sutton Family Foundation, and Goodwill Industries of NWNC. The Executive Team included: Jonathan Allen, Rocio Celias, Liz Miller, Chuck Spong, Lanie Ehlinger, and Jo Lowe. They would like to also thank the 150+ volunteers that dedicated their time to serving that evening.

“Christmas for the City has always been one of my favorite days of the year—it’s a beautiful picture of the best of our community coming together, and individuals putting aside their differences and bringing their gifts to the table. In a year like 2020, our team knew we needed to do something to call our community to celebrate together, while continuing to Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly. It was amazing to see some of the same faces continuing to participate and finding community, prayer, and encouragement—and have joy, which has often been hard to find this year,” says Liz.

If you would like more information on Christmas for the City or about Love Out Loud…

Stay up-to-date about Christmas for the City at www.Christmasforthecity.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christmasforthecity Instagram: @Christmas4City E-mail: serve@loveoutloudws.com

Find out more about Love Out Loud at: www.loveoutloudws.com Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/loveoutloudws Instagram: @LoveOutLoudWS E-mail: serve@loveoutloudws.com Phone: 336.747.3067 Volunteer Needs: Volunteer. LoveOutLoudWS.com

“We enjoyed talking with folks. Lots of smiles. A joyful experience, even as people shared their difficulties/ prayer requests.” ~ Mt. Tabor UMC Volunteer