Amish Snowbirds

Amish Snowbirds

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

When I lived in Montana, many of my friends moved south for the winter—mostly to Arizona and Nevada. I knew snow was around the corner when my friends packed their bags and traveled to warmer parts.

In the cold months of winter, some Amish do the same. One popular destination is Pinecraft, Florida. This Amish community is just a stone’s throw from the beach.

From December to April, Amish travelers fill charter buses and venture from the snowy hill country to Florida’s Gulf Coast. The Amish have been traveling to this area since 1925, mostly during the winter months when farmwork is slow. The small village of Pinecraft caters to the Amish. Even the local self-service laundry has strung up lines outside for air drying—although many Amish do use electricity in their rental homes. Florida is a different type of place, and Amish and Mennonite congregants from “old” to “new” mingle as they wouldn’t at home. They enjoy the sun on their faces and remove their sturdy black shoes to walk barefoot on the beach. As they enjoy a respite from their busy days at home, I can imagine them gratefully remembering the words of Psalm 21:2: “You have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested,” and Psalm 145:19: “He grants the desires of those who fear him.”

Does your soul need refreshing? I wish I could offer you a sunny Florida vacation with friends. That would be wonderful, indeed. But we can discover the joy and peace that comes from God no matter where we are. The world outside your window may be a blistering cold storm, but that can’t stop the Lord from being with you in a real way. Sometimes we do need a vacation, an escape. But sometimes we simply need to turn to God and allow the warmth of His light to fill our hearts.

Dear heavenly Father, some days I desire an escape from the storms outside my window and the storms in my life. I’m thankful that I can turn to You when I struggle with those storms and know that Your presence can bring calm.