snow day

It has snowed all day here in Grayson. Not a big deal if you live in the north where snow is commonplace and there is equipment to deal with it. But here, in my little corner of the world, 5 inches is a lot of snow. And life slows down. In some places to a crawl or even a complete stop.

There is something calming about the quiet that accompanies a snow covered day. I listened to it late this morning and let it speak rest to my soul. 

There is something disquieting about a silent snow day that has shouted at me all afternoon into this evening. What do I do with the first snow day I can remember that has been full of memories of what "should" be happening with no new memories being made here.

no kids or grandkids clamoring to go out to play in it
no disappointment that it is pretty to look at but no good for snowmen
no snow piles melting to puddles on my floor
no requests for hot chocolate and maybe homemade cookies
no one asking for a fire in the woodstove

I have felt lost. 
Not sure what to do.
Other than shovel the drive and clean off my car.

When I saw it was covered again in a matter of an hour I thought about how grief and snow storms are alike. Both will bury you if you let them. The key to survival is to keep working at it, a little at a time, knowing you may have to do the same thing over and over and over again. But if you don't "deal" with it as it comes you can easily get overwhelmed and feel like you will never be able to work your way out from under it.

I will go back out tomorrow.
Shovel and scrape snow.
Clean things up.
But for now?
For now I am going to relish the beauty and quiet of an evening snow,
calling to mind that even though I may not understand how or why,
God is always at work.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are My ways higher than your ways

    and My thoughts than your thoughts.

 

As the rain and the snow

    come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

    without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

 

so is My word that goes out from My mouth:

    It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Isaiah 55:9-11