Jesus Listens... Even On Snow Days

I love the snow. I do. Maybe it’s because snow is rarely seen in OKC, or maybe it’s because I see it as one of God’s little miracles that he delights in sharing with us from time to time. Whatever the reason, I love it. I enjoy sitting at the window and watching those huge puffy flakes slowly drop from the sky and gently fall to the ground. And what a sight to behold when everything is covered in a blanket of pure white – like everything has been washed clean… every imperfection covered and no longer visible by the naked eye. Wouldn’t it be nice if the snow could cover up our own imperfections as well?

I was reading my morning devotion – Jesus Calling – and today’s message really spoke to me… “When you feel anxious, know that you are focusing on the visible world and leaving Me out of the picture. The remedy is simple: Fix your eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen.” The author, Sarah Young, was quoting 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Normally, I would jump right to the NIV translation, but today I want to share with you how The Message paraphrases this passage:

“Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace… There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

And that, my friend, I believe is the reason for the season – to remind us that every day we are showered in God’s loving grace. Just like the pure white blanket of snow, every day begins with new hope and the promise that God is always with us… we are never alone.

Funny how God speaks to us sometimes… today of all days… I have been feeling really alone. Because of the “snowmageddon”, I’ve been cooped up in this ol’ house for three long days. I typically relish a change of pace from my normal routine, but when I’m forced to take a day off (or three) because of high snow drifts and frigid temps, I find myself feeling disconnected from the rest of the world and getting really anxious. Anxious for what? I’m not sure. But for three days, I have wandered through the house looking for something to occupy my time… I’ve checked Facebook and Twitter more times than I would like to admit, skimmed many books, surfed the cable channels, and watched the time tick away at a snail’s pace. Nothing seemed to take that anxious feeling away… until this morning.

I looked out the window this morning, and I was thrilled to see that my newspaper had been delivered (tossed), but it landed near the street... about 100ft from the front door… too far for me to justify getting bundled up and trudging through the 2-3ft snow drifts. And so I took a picture of it. Ha.

And it was at that moment that I spotted my furry little friend scavenging for food. This little squirrel has spent many mornings sitting on the kitchen windowsill, watching intently while I whip up some oatmeal for breakfast. We have never spoken, but I have found great comfort in sharing my morning routine with this little guy, and I think he feels the same.

This morning, that little squirrel seemed very busy searching for food, but every few minutes, he would stop and look up at the window to see if I was there. Now how cool is that? And then it hit me -- Our Father in heaven is the same way – always busy tending to matters far greater than we could ever comprehend, but doing so while never letting us out of his sight. I prayed a small prayer of gratitude... and slowly that lonely, anxious feeling melted away.

Have you ever felt alone or anxious? I'm sure you have; we all have at one time or another. The next time you feel this way, I challenge you to look to the heavens and begin sharing your heart. There’s no great philosophy on the perfect way to speak to God… just start talking, and I assure you… HE WILL LISTEN.

“I am with you and for you. You face nothing alone… nothing!”

– Jesus Calling