Ice Days...and Stop Signs
I need to confess up front that I'm not one of those grown-ups who sit around saying that they sure hope the snow misses us. I not only like it, I've been known to stay up all night watching the TV weather guys hyping the latest "Winter Storm," and I enjoy it every second of it. Unless of course, we get a dud and the predictions don't come to pass. And even if we didn't get much of the winter precipitation this time--and most of that was ice--I have to say (as I write this on Tuesday afternoon) how much I love the picture of the white-covered ground outside my window.
Last year, when the weather man predicted snow but we missed out in our area, I could hardly handle the disappointment. So my bride and I took my off day and just drove north until we found some snow. We ended up driving a couple of hours, saw the snow in a small town in northeast Alabama, had a burrito, and then turned around and drove back home.
I'm not sure why I'm so fascinated and excited about snow. I grew up next to a big hill and never missed the chance to go sledding when we had snow or ice. Even if, in Alabama, that was pretty rare. Then after we were married my wife bought me an official Clark W. Griswold disk one Christmas so that I could slide down any hill that was slippery enough. But in recent years we haven't had a sled-able snow, and during that time I may have gotten a little too old and fragile to go play like a kid again. So this week I just sat in the house and admired our little ice event through the window, except for a few times when I had to go out and try to coax Rona the wonder dog to do her business in the cold.
I used to say that my obsession with snow was because I loved to see the excitement in my children's eyes as they saw the flakes flurry from the sky, and as we joined together to build the inevitable snow man (or even an "ice man") in our yard. But our nest has been empty for a while now and I can't use the children as an excuse any more, even though we do pass texts back in forth with our adult kids, with photos of the snow at their house, and their kids playing in it. And it gives me joy that my "kids" still find joy when it snows.
I do understand that everyone doesn't get that excited over winter weather. Some see snow as a great inconvenience to their busy schedule. Or a safety hazard--or an emergency trip for milk and bread--to be avoided. I have been told by more than a few transplanted northerners that a few winters up north would cure me of my love for snow for life. But I still live in Alabama, and for now I still like to see the "wintry precipitation."
I have determined that of the main reasons I love the snow these days is because I see it, often, as God's meteorological STOP sign. Here in the south, ice or snow usually shuts down our world for the day, as it did this week. It's a free holiday--"Snow Day!"--usually with no school, little or no work, and lots of play. And then you come inside, take off the cold, wet clothes, drink hot chocolate and stand by the fire. It doesn't get much better than that.
Frankly, I think God wants us all to build more STOP signs into our lives, no matter the weather, to "be still and know that He is God" (Psalm 46:10). That's what we did this year. Ice Day 2024 was a gift, at least for me. It wasn't on a busy day (though a couple of folks from our church had surgeries or medical procedures scheduled that day and had to drive the icy roads to get there). But for me it was somewhat of a forced sabbath. I did get a little "work" done--including writing this ePistle blog--but other than that, I didn't have the temptation to fill my time with busyness, because I couldn't do anything even if I wanted to.
It will be a cold weekend, but then it's going to warm up next week, and I suspect we probably won't get much more in the way of winter weather this year. But it won't be because I don't wish it. But the reality is, even if the forecast is warm and dry, we still have plenty of opportunities to stop...to be still...and to let God intervene in our routine, and surprise us with His blessings from above. That's a choice we all can make. I pray you won't miss those opportunities in 2024.
I will say that I'm glad the weather forecasts call for clear skies (and roads) for the weekend so we won't have any problems getting together for worship at Shelby Crossings. I am praying for you, as I hope you are for me, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
