Wow!  I knew it had been a while since I last posted, but four months and two days is longer than I’ve ever gone!.  Let’s fix that.

It’s a laid back day, just right for a laid back reflection.  Nothing too profound. Just something as relaxed as I am right now sitting by a cozy fire in the fireplace, staying warm on this frigid 8 deg. F (-13 deg. C) January day.  We received 12 inches of snow yesterday here in southwest Ohio. The sun is getting low in the sky and everything is stunningly beautiful:  clear blue sky and blueish-white shadows of the trees on a blanket of undisturbed pure white snow!  It makes me wish I knew how to paint so I could capture this.  But I know everything created by man pales in comparison to the breathtaking beauty God provides. 

I have to admit, however, that yesterday, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, wasn’t too restful.  It was overcast with no sunshine and, although the snow was beautiful, I couldn’t help but feel anxious about how much snow we would get, whether we could make it the eight miles to church for Mass, and how much work it would be today digging ourselves out.  Now, looking back on yesterday’s fretting, I should have trusted in God’s providence and less on my inability to control things. 

I’m one of those who many call strange as I’d rather a cold winter day than a scorching hot summer day.  I sent photos of the sidewalks I shoveled today to my daughters and one of them suggested I get a snow plow for my lawn mower.  I responded that I like to shovel snow.  It’s good exercise if you don’t work too hard at it, gets you outside into fresh air, and makes you appreciate the beauty of it all that much more.  

While outside, I kept an eye on our bird feeders to make sure they weren’t being depleted.  Our feathered-friends – cardinals, finches, and titmice – have enjoyed a feeding frenzy.  I feel sorry for the dark-eyed junkos, though, since they’re not perching birds but hang out on the ground hoping the other birds will drop them a morsel or two.

Due to the snow covered roads, our parish office was closed today so I didn’t have to go in to work this morning.  It gave me more time to spend in mental prayer.  Instead of feeling rushed as I often am, it was nice to have more time in conversation with our Lord.  It struck me that God gives us days like this –  unexpected reprieves from the daily grind – to slow down and reconnect with Him.  It was upon reading the Scripture for the day, specifically the responsorial to Psalm 96, “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations”, with a view of the snow covered ground outside the window in front of me, that prompted the nudge to finally write again.

As much as I love the beauty of a day like this, I know there are many others, especially those in Tennessee and Mississippi today, who are cursing what feels like misfortune for the heavy ice they received, as opposed to snow, that has caused severe tree damage and consequently wide-spread power outages.  Shoveling snow today gave me an opportunity to pray for them, for their safety, and that they accept with grace and give thanks to God for their own chance to draw closer to Him.  While many lives have been disrupted because of things outside of human control, He has created opportunities for people to love and be charitable to each other:  offering shelter, cutting and removing trees in neighbor’s yards, assisting stranded motorists, and such.  Having lived through hurricanes on the Gulf coast, I know communities grow stronger as a result of natural disasters.

Tomorrow I go back to work looking for ways to evangelize people and for ways to encourage people to evangelize.  But, today has been a welcome day of respite even though I’ll be sore tomorrow because of the snow shoveling. I’ve overcome my writer’s block, and I’m thankful for that.  But, right now, it’s time to add another log to the fire.

Peace and blessings to each of you.

“Almighty God, thank you for this day, for allowing me to be a part of it, for the grace to recognize your love in the beauty you create, and for the opportunity to draw closer to you.  Amen.”

(Winter Respite was first published on the blog Reflections of a Lay Catholic)

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