This has been a week of strange weather! It continued to be foggy and give us more frosty worlds. It has been so beautiful. When frosty foggy mornings come on Sabbath, then they are extra special. The beauty ended when we had a cold winter rain! I do not like winter to be soggy and muddy! That ended with ice and with tornadoes and hail! In my opinion none of that should happen in January. But it did. While God is a God of order, the order of things for this winter seems to be out of order! God warned us long ago that weather would do strange things in the last days. Next, the spring like storms were followed by a winter snowstorm that moved on and away during the night leaving us with beauty of another kind. Waking up to a world that was white and clean always reminds me of what God wants to do and can do and promises to do with our lives. I am so glad for that promise of cleaning up my dirty heart and giving it a new clean, white look.
The snowstorm caused many problems and gave many children and teachers a day off from school. While kids generally think it a fun day, snowstorms cause many problems for others. Some people enjoy it if they can stay home and enjoy winter from through a window--me! Others cause themselves distress by not heeding warnings. Others have to be careful and go out and about to help others. I am so thankful for those who are sent by God to help others. It might just be "their job" but God places each of us where we are needed by Him and by others. I am thankful for the "snowplowers" and for emergency rescue people. I am glad for doctors and nurses. I am glad for those involved with making sure that stores are supplied with goods. I am glad for those who provide and deliver gas for our cars and our furnaces and stoves. I am really glad that I have hot water so that I don't have to be forced to have a cold shower--it is just a choice and I choose to want a warm shower. I am thankful for a husband who makes sure that we have wood to heat our house. I am glad for people who see a need and take time to take care of the need. They could have said, “It is not my business!” But what a nice surprise to come home and find out that someone did a random act of kindness for us. I am glad that one day this week we received some help for a job that was going to be very difficult for us. I am glad that there are those who understand how our bodies are made and know how to make adjustments and recommendations that help us feel better. This week I am especially thankful that a doctor has helped the pain in my back to be eased. God has blessed me this week for sure.
The job that was going to be difficult for us was moving some furniture. For several months we have had our dining room furniture in our living room along with our living room furniture. If you wonder how that was working for us, the answer is - it wasn't working! When we put the things together in the same room, we did not expect it to be "forever." But I suppose that forever is relative. It just felt like forever. I am glad that God doesn't run out of patience with me as quickly as I was running out of patience with the furniture.
Life is good again! We have most of the furniture in their proper places again. I am thankful for such willing helpers--that have muscles. I have had some things in boxes for over a year waiting for the time when they could be put in their proper places. Slowly now that is happening. This week I unpacked 2 boxes that had glass things in them that I treasure. They had wedding things, my mother's things, and my grandma's things in them. I both liked them and also appreciate heritage. As I started to unwrap each item, I heard some tinkling sounds. That can only mean one thing when you are unpacking glass! Four of those things that I carefully wrapped and packed away to be moved and stored had somehow been broken. Broken glass is of no use and can never be put back to its original condition. I too get broken. Some days a small piece of me gets chipped and broken. Somedays I feel so broken that nothing about me is useful to anyone. I know that isn't true, but some days we all forget that God created us in His image. He did not give life to a pile of junk. Even though broken glass can't be put back together to be useful again, God can take my brokenness, and if I allow Him t, recreate my brokenness so I can be useful to Him again and to others.
This week I have been thankful! Very thankful! So very thankful that I have people who care and God who cares even more.
