SNOW AND RAIN

A friend asked, “Why does D.C. get so excited about just the mention of snow?”

“Because it’s a day off, and we have to stop – everything is cancelled,” I said.

“Hmm, guess you’re right.”

Later I recalled for her a rainy Saturday, not a snow day, but it made the same point: A steady, heavy rain was coming down. All the laundry and dishes were put away. My mother’s business affairs were completed only a few months after her passing. My first paycheck in eight months was in the bank – I had quit work to care for my mother.

So, I had no chores and none of the financial worries I had had for a while. I had FREE cable because I had just switched Internet providers – and free cable was part of the deal. Two chick flicks were scheduled one after the other. I stretched out on the sofa under a skylight, where I could hear the rain. The dog who generally hides under the bed in any storm came out to curl up at my feet.

Halfway into the second movie, I realized how blessed I was. How many people in the world, now or in the past, have rested with all the big and little chores under control and no one to bother them for a whole day? I thanked God for the roof over my head, the dog at my feet and the good stories in front of me. I had a grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup and a cold glass of milk for lunch. Then I wondered whether we would have any snow days come winter when I could enjoy another day of grace.

A snow day would be a bit different – I would add a prayer of gratitude for all the “essential” personnel who would be out keeping the lights and heat on and clearing the roads before cabin fever could take hold. Yes, I would pray for the people who maintain an invisible safety net just for me – and millions of others close by but with their own families or solitude.

When it snows again, we can all enjoy that retreat at the same time. Think how blessed we are when a snow day or rainy day is simply a day of rest! And imagine how wide and strong is the invisible safety net that God keeps in place on all our other days as well.

— Pat Everett

Courtesy of The Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist