I was surprised to find how much joy today’s snowfall brought to our household. Our little one, whose morning routine typically involves asking at least ten times, “is today a TV day?!?†gave up after about two asks and instead persisted, “let’s go outside!â€
Several layers later, we were out “shoveling,†which before 7 am was best done on the grass. The wet stuff allowed us to construct a snowman in about five minutes flat, and while we were out of carrots, a few accoutrements were located before returning to the primary task of snow-relocating (to call it shoveling would be generous).
While I know the white stuff isn’t everyone’s favorite, there is a sense of wonder that it seems to unlock. I can still remember a college floormate from India seeing snow for the first time in his early 20s. He was jubilant, and watching his reaction brought out the kid in all of us. So it was this morning, as the little guy, now back inside, sipped his cocoa with satisfaction. My cup runneth over.
In this season of thanks and giving, it is my prayer that we would find such delight in the joy of others. It might be during a visit to family and friends, in watching the squirrels skip across the field, or even through the scenes on our glowing televisions (on TV day, of course). Joy is joy. May we invite it heartily into our lives as we approach the shorter yet wondrous days ahead.
Pastor Jen