Westchester Blizzard
The view in Westchester, New York was rather bleak on January 23rd as Winter Storm Jonas barreled through our county. Our first snowfall of the season was a doozy, dropping eighteen inches of snow. The aftermath of a large storm requires days of work to clear roadways, driveways, pathways and to keep these places free of ice.
All of the above is to be expected in January in New York. However, does that make it any easier? The answer from what I gather is, no. For days before the storm, I hear people complaining at supermarkets or any social setting where people gather. I always resist the urge to follow negative
talk concerning the weather. People complain about the cold, the work required to clean up snow and generally seem very grouchy. It doesn't seem like a very God-centric way of looking at things, right?
Evergreen branches look lovely adorned with snow.
Over the years, I have tried to have a good attitude when I go out and shovel only to go outside and hear neighbors tell me how they "can't wait until spring" and "how much" they "hate winter." My
response is usually to try and say something to uplift them. It is hard to have a positive attitude when people are constantly speaking negative words in your life yet we must all remember that God promises to give us, " a peace that surpasses all understanding."
That statement is so fraught with meaning. It would indicate that even faced with eighteen inches of snow and a car completely blocked after the snow plough went down my block that I should have a, "peace that surpasses" the reality of that situation. It does not mean that God is taking away the hours of shoveling necessary to extricate my car nor that everyone will suddenly develop a good attitude. What it does mean is that if I keep God foremost in my mind that I will deal with the situation in a relaxed and peaceful way.
When God gives you ice, make ice lanterns!
So what happened this time to get me to go completely crazy? Why was I so completely off my Godly walk? Don't we all love those times when we are following God closely and nothing can
shake us? I do. But what can we learn from those times that we don't? The Bible reminds us that, "all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God" - Romans 3:23. This confirms what we already know, which is that we all make mistakes. We fail! God is holy and we are not.
This verse gives us fair warning that we can not help but fall short of the beauty and goodness of our God.
So what happens in life that causes us to fail? Think of preparing for a snowstorm and it is easy to see how life wears you down. A few days before the storm, I assessed what shopping needed to be done. While I was stocked for snow removal items, I did need to get to the post office and stock up on a few more food items. The parking lots and shopping was crazy. Suddenly no one knows how to drive. People are double parked blocking other cars. They are crossing double yellow lines and going down one way lanes in the wrong direction. There are three shopping carts left and mine is sticky.
The winter landscape
Add to this the constant alarmist weather reports and we go from a normal weather event to a hyped up snowmaggedon. Our society currently encourages excess. It makes everything into a reality show full of tantrums, slapping, driving drunk and cruelty. If we had a Christian reality show imagine the storylines depicted ? Would they look different? Unfortunately, I discovered that for me on that snowy weekend that I looked no different than that world depicted on reality T.V. I failed in patience and loving my neighbor. But, the other part of the episode in our Christian reality show depicts us praying and asking God to forgive us and resolving to do better the next time. That is the difference.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
- 1 Peter 5:10.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and
reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 3:13-14.
Davos, Switzerland
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