Snow

When my parents purchased the house that was my childhood home, one selling factor was its close proximity to a large city park.  That park became a quiet oasis for me.  I’d walk there during the spring to revel in the first blooms of the season, in the summer to touch the azure sky helped along by the swings, in the fall to watch football games, but winter was always special.  The football field was frozen into an expansive ice skating rink.  I’d spend hours and hours there, forgetting the cold and windchill.  My mother often would have to send my brother or sister to retrieve me for dinner and homework.

So it is probably the most ironic part of my life that, as an adult, I hate winter.  I loathe the cold, the inconvenience of snow and the dark, long days.  While many enjoy the hush of newly fallen snow, I see only the isolation of being forced indoors for many months.

 Human life is made up of bright rays of sunshine followed by stormy rain clouds.  Brightness and gloom, shadows and sunshine.  The warmth of summer followed by the harsh cold of winter.  Living an abundant life means finding joy in both.

During the bitter cold of disappointment, the presence of the Lord is the safest place to be.  Psalm 31:19 says, “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you.”  It is through worship and adoration that we are drawn into God’s presence. 

The joy of winter is found in God’s abundant reminders of His love.  There is splendor, beauty, majesty and grandeur in these days.  Each unique snowflake is a wonder to behold.  The stillness of the air hovering over the new snowfall whispers God’s love.  The ice crackling underneath our boots carrys the song of the enormous care God has for us.

Winter from God’s perspective means exploring the fun and surprises He puts in the season.  It means seeing the adventure, savoring the moments and gathering the blessings. 

To me, it means reveling in the “wow moments” God brings to my life…even in the dead of winter.

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