Gratitude Practice 2020 Day 15: Divinity in a Snow Storm
Salt Lake City experienced a severe winter storm warning last Thursday night and I keep thinking about the white washed morning after. Our community is carefully placed at the foothill of a major mountain range and experiences this kind of weather a few times each year. After every big storm subsides, once our world is blanketed in fluffy white, I am always struck by how beautiful the trees and bushes appear once covered in snow. Last Friday morning, as predicted, our city woke up to "a major life slowing storm" due to extreme weather conditions. Tonight, I am grateful that while slogging through a snowy Friday morning I felt God's love for me in a new and profound way.
A dear friend from our Texas years believed strongly and preached fervently that a loving God was in both the big and the little details of our lives. Her determined and faith filled words race through my heart and echo in my head on the regular. In the details. God is in your details she would always say. Really? All of the details? Really?
Last Thursday night, once my little family was asleep and my home life duties were completed, I sat back down in front of my laptop, checked my email and started typing and researching and reading for a time sensitive work project. After several hours, I crawled into my bed desperate for rest but sleep did not come...because details. So many big and little life details raced through my heart and zoomed through my head. Work details. Church details. Family details. Parenting details. Marriage details. Money details. Health details. Just me details. So many details for so many hours accompanied by so much falling snow. Our bedroom has a large set of windows that provide a nice view of both our neighborhood and our beloved mountains and I can attest that snow fell and details raced..all..night...long.
The next morning came way too early. As I loaded my over excited girl, my over flowing work bag and my overwhelmed sleep deprived self into our car, I said out loud..."Just start driving, Liz. Just start driving." I fastened our seatbelts, started the car, opened the garage door, began backing out and was blown away at the calm pure white stillness of the snow filled morning. Throughout our simple commute, I was struck by every branch and every limb on every tree from our house to my office. Each tree and bush perfectly and individually and uniquely dusted with snow...talk about details. Not one tree was left out. Not one branch overlooked. Not one twig forgotten. Not one limb dismissed. It was breath taking. So much snow. So many delicate branches. So many details. The snow I watched fall for hours covered it all in a comprehensive yet specific way just like a loving God is showing up in big, bold and brave ways as much as His love and care for me is evidenced in the minute minutia of the mundane. From my biggest most challenging heartaches to the tiniest of twigs...we are noticed and recognized and known.
During both severe storms and on carefree sun filled afternoons, like these unfailing neighborhood trees, I am being supported and seen and known and nurtured and challenged and encouraged to carry and balance and beautify whatever falls from these life slowly storms. Tonight, I am grateful to be reminded that a loving God is aware of and engaged with both the sever storms and the breath taking soul-restoring stillness of the big and the little life details.