Snowpocalypse!

I am currently taking an English course titled "The Bible as Literature" in order to complete my coursework at Ashland. One of my assignments this week was to write my own parable. Therefore, the following "parable" is written in response to my student teaching during the past week and the current "snowpocalypse".

There once was a student teacher. The teacher had tons and tons of homework to do but instead all she could think about was summer break. Instead of completing her responsibilities like her coursework or coaching her local cheerleading squad, all she could focus on was her upcoming vacations. Visions of sandy beaches and sleeping in danced in her head.

On day, she was so focused on her daydreams of sunshine that she completely forgot her unfinished lesson plans for the following day on her desk at work. Hours later, it suddenly dawned on her that the next day was her very important observation day with her advisor. She panicked in fear knowing that the school was already locked and she had no way of completing her lessons.

Therefore, she developed a plan. She would wake up at five in the morning and meet the janitor at the front door. She would also pray for a snow day. Little did she remember that snow days are probably not appropriate things to pray for.

The next morning developed according to plan. She woke hours before the sun came up. She tiptoed around the bedroom in the dark in attempt to not wake her sleeping husband and dog. She managed to dress professionally without ever seeing herself in a lit mirror. Proudly, she ate breakfast AND packed a lunch, both of which she had rarely done before.

Pleased with herself and her fantastic problem solving skills, she opened the garage door and started the car in the garage. As she waited for the car to warm, she decided to check her emails with a fresh cup of coffee. When she looked down at her phone, it suddenly exploded with emails!

"What's this?" she thought. "I never have this many emails suddenly in the morning....particularly THIS early."

Just then, she looked outside for the first time. Though she could not completely see in the dark, she did see something shiny....VERY shiny. Seeing as though she had lived in Ohio her entire life and was holding an exploding iphone in her hand, she knew immediately what had happened.

She had asked God for a snow day. She knew God probably had better prayer requests to handle at the moment. Besides, she should have been focused at work anyway. God did not give her a snow day. Instead, he gave her an ice day (and days and days). He gave her ice that takes days to scratch off your car only to find more ice on the car. He gave her ice that makes the CNN evening news. He gave her ice that literally made the neighbor's kid ice skate (with real ice skates) on the driveway. He gave her ice that tears the power lines out and makes you think that someone is breaking in the house when ice falls off the roof at 4am.

That week, the student teacher learned two lessons. The first was logical; quit thinking about the beach and do your homework. The second was not as expected. Be careful what you pray and wish for. When you pray for a snow day, God will still hear you. Instead, he will laugh to himself and bring...THE SNOWPOCALPSE!