It was late at night. As we rounded a corner we saw the glow of a familiar site: a lone flag lady, standing outside in sub-zero temperatures, posted to warn us of the hazardous road conditions ahead. She stood in the alien-like island of light that marked the geographic boundaries of her work shift. She held up her stop sign—and she saved our lives.
This is common in rural Alaska. Avalanches, permafrost heaves, and frequent earthquakes all take their toll on the roads. We’re often forced to stop and wait for a pilot car to guide us around a life-threatening hazard. In this instance, the left half of the road was simply missing—and there was a one thousand foot cliff just a few feet to the right of the road. In the picture above, you can see the ground falling away where the light fades into the abyss on the right.
I jumped out of our van and thanked her for her work. I asked about her story, and I asked if I could snap a few photos while she stood there—saving our lives.
Amazingly, not everyone thanks her for her work. Many people are jerks. They’re in a massive hurry, so they get angry when they’re forced to stop and wait for a pilot car. But here’s the truly amazing part: they vent their anger on the one-and-only person standing there, the lonely flag lady, the one saving their lives
So I’d like you to meet Debbie, the flag lady, the one made in God’s image, the one who saved our lives. She’s a lot like all the people who save your life and serve your food and bag your groceries. She is made in God’s image. She is a gift from God to me and you.
Read the entire post from Everyday Significance.
Photo by Paul Rude. Post highlighted by Newsletter Editor David Rupert.