By Ann Mann
Snow in Pike County, Georgia, is a rare and magical sight. For those of us who grew up in the South, snow is a fleeting wonder, a brief moment of purity before the sun melts it away. Yet this New Year, as delicate white flakes fell from the sky, memories of my years spent in Illinois came rushing back. There, snow was more than a brief wonder; it was a way of life in the winter.
I recall waking up to a landscape transformed by freshly fallen snow, a blanket of pure white covering everything in sight. It was pristine and beautiful, for a moment. But then came the plows, the salt trucks, and the inevitable traffic.
The once-perfect landscape turned grey, slushy, and marred by the realities of daily life. What began as something breathtaking quickly became something ordinary and messy.
Life, I have found, often follows this same pattern. We experience moments when everything seems perfect, when life feels just as we hoped and prayed it would be. But then something happens, a storm, a loss, a sudden change, and the skies darken, turning the bright moments grey.
For me, that storm came when my husband died suddenly. The life we had built together, filled with joy and shared dreams, was upended in an instant. The beauty of our shared life felt lost beneath the weight of grief.
Yet, as two years have passed, I have learned an important lesson: the landscape is still beautiful. It is not the snow that covers the ground that holds the true beauty; it is what lies beneath.
Just as the land beneath the snow remains firm and enduring, so too does the foundation of my life. While my husband added so much to my journey, this life is still mine to live. The only question is how I will choose to live it.
As we step into this new year, I choose to trust Jesus. I choose to follow Him and to open my heart to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come simply to comfort us in our personal trials; it empowers us to live out our faith in tangible ways.
In Acts 8:14-17, we read about the believers receiving the Holy Spirit. What stands out is that the Spirit was given not just to the Jewish people but to all—including the Samaritans, long considered outsiders. Through the Spirit, they became part of the mission to spread the good news of Jesus to the world.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, often emphasized that faith without works is dead. He taught that the evidence of the Spirit’s presence in our lives is found in our actions, in the way we love, serve, and advocate for others. The Spirit moves us beyond the comfort of our church walls and into the world, calling us to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and stand with the oppressed.
In our daily lives, we are invited to seek the Spirit’s power through prayer, the study of scripture, and active participation in the life of the Church. When we do, we are transformed—not just for our own benefit but for the sake of those around us. The beauty of this life, like the beauty of the snowy landscape, is not in the temporary covering but in the enduring foundation beneath.
So, as the snow falls gently on Barnesville this New Year, I am reminded of the enduring beauty of life. Though storms may come and the pristine moments may fade, the foundation remains. And with the power of the Spirit, we are called to live, love, and serve with joy.
May this year bring not only fleeting moments of beauty but also a deeper sense of purpose. Let us trust in the One who walks with us through every season, and may we, like those first believers, be empowered by the Spirit to bring hope and light to the world.
Ann Mann is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, now serving as pastor to Barnesville First United Methodist Church. You can email her at annmann@comcast.net. Her new book, “Finding Hope in the Storm,” is available on Amazon.