Footprints, puffs of clouds, floating droplets of white, shivering, crunching, and two puppies romping and playing in the back yard
The yard is covered with a white blanket of snow so clean and beautiful you hate to desecrate it with footprints and a ba-zillion puppy paw prints.
While I stood outside with the puppies this morning, watching my breath like little puffs of clouds, I shivered and thought “Oh no, I have too much to do today to be bothered with snow, ice and rain”. With the final shopping list as long as my arm, and favorite family recipes peeking from the pockets of my purse, I was ready to fly out the door and turn this one day into two!!!!!
Three more small gifts, food to buy, and tape for wrapping (cannot forget the tape). Goodies to make, last minute cards to sign and it’s a wrap for Christmas 2009.
I was thinking the puppies were taking too long. “Come on, come on guys don’t you know I have a busy day and besides, it’s cold out here and I am getting wet”…whine, whine, whine….then I stopped thinking “busy” and watched them play, romp, sniff, lick, and roll in the “new stuff on the ground”. They love the snow and the time to play in it.
I looked up at the snow mingled with rain….half snow, half rain…but caught sight of one full snowflake. Like our fingerprints, there are no two alike. Like exquisite lattice or lacework as only God can produce, I watch it fall to the ground to join all the others.
A flood of memories of times played in the snow as a child and with my own children came to mind. Of a late nigh walk on OSU’s campus with my new boyfriend Dennis. Of looking for the lost ring of my three-year-old daughter dropped in the deep snow in Granddad’s back yard. Sledding with son and his friends praying I would not break my neck. Long walks with husband Dennis through hushed parks. Remembering one very early morning with snow falling while sitting on top of a slide in the park watching an entire deer family come out and stroll. Remembering so many quiet times with the Lord, all wrapped up in a blanket watching the snowfall from my front window. Remembering snow topped mountains, and the crackling, tinkling noise of frozen rivers breaking up and flowing as God intended.
A Cardinal flew by and rested every so quickly on my fence and then was gone. Brilliant red against the pure white touched my soul and delighted my eyes and heart…and then I realized…If I had rushed the puppies in the house I would have missed that moment of beauty.
I shook my head as though to empty it of the impatient “come on, come on…things to do, busy day, wrapping, cooking” thoughts and filled it with what the puppies were experiencing, Pure joy and delight...with wildness of play and happiness while discovering something so wonderful as wet white stuff for their enjoyment.
God’s beauty is all around me, every day and how much do I miss being worried and upset about many things, when there is only One thing that is needed which is far better than any list, gift, recipe, wrapping paper or preparations. Only One thing that can never be taken from me: my Lord, Savior and King, Jesus Christ and all that He has so generously provided for me to enjoy.
I stayed outside for a long time, taking in the joy of nature, the puppies, the scrambling squirrels, and gave God all the honor and glory and thanks for using footprints, puffs of clouds, floating droplets of white, shivering, crunching, and two puppies playfully romping and playing in the back yard to settle my heart and mind.
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