But anyway, as I was driving to work I started thinking about this... snow. It was so peaceful driving with no cars or other crazy drivers on the road and tons of flakes falling all around my car. (It's seriously not the first time I've seen snow, maybe the 7th time in my life, but I am from Dothan so don't laugh.) But then I started thinking about how sick I was of it. Although it is pretty the first time it falls, and it is fun for snowmen and snow angels and sledding and snowballs, now it was a bit excessive. It's just so wet and cold and icy. All the businesses, roads and schools (except for UAB, of course) shut down. Everyone is cold and irritable. It is nice every once in a while, but this has just been too much for me. Maybe if I lived up north where it is normal and life continues despite the snow I could handle it, but this is not my cup of tea, or cup of skinny vanilla latte should I say, which would be lovely right now.
This thinking turned into deeper thinking throughout my day. Which in turn left God with leaving this thought in my head. I find it funny how that whole process works, and I sometimes like to sing the noodle song from a childhood TV show when I get a crazy, out of the blue thought in my head. But in the Bible, God uses weather as a tool to show his people his power. Just think about the floods, lightning even drought and famine that are spoken of all through the Bible. Sometimes God uses the weather as a way to punish his people, but many times he uses it as a tool to show his control and constant guidance over our lives.
In Luke 8, when Jesus calms the storm he asks the disciples, "Where is your faith?. I sometimes can picture myself in that boat and I sometimes even picture that boat as my own life. It's so easy to have a moment, maybe even a stretch of months or years when we can feel the storms of life beating our boat around, we can feel the water pouring over and pulling us down, when we run panicking. But this is where that faith comes in. My dad once told me that having full faith in God means trusting him with every decision, major or minor, in my life. As hard as this is, it's amazing the difference I feel in knowing I'm following God's plan for my life. As of right now I can't tell you exactly where I will be in 5 years, not even 2 years, how much money I will eventually make, or where I will end up living. But I do know, that when the next storm does come to my life God has total and complete control of the sails, and this boat will not be sinking.
So back to the snow, it was also in the Bible in the story of Job, a man who had by no means an easy life. Except instead of just snow, Job also got thunder, lightning, hail, rainstorms, ice and scattering winds... all at once. But instead of shutting down like we do, and complaining of the cold like I found myself this morning, Job was lead to proclaim just how powerful, wonderful and almighty our God is. So no matter how cold, wet and icy it is, this is just God showing his beauty, power and awesomeness to us. During the next rainstorm, flood, heat spell, or freak blizzard we have or the next storm in your own life give God all the control, trust in him and have faith. He created the storm, and he will be there to save you.
Much love.
post-spoiler alert. this was really long. when it rains, it pours. :)
P.S... Here's some pictures from the snow day we had back in January! It was a lot of fun, and we all became quite the sledding enthusiasts this day. :)
girls!
one of the coolest people of i know :)
sleds!
Welcome to the world of blogging Carrie. It is an exciting, dangerous, but very rewarding hobby if one finds the time to write and give people the gift of words. Btw, you were seriously cracking me up on the radio. Awesome, grace and peace to you.
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