Monday, April 12, 2010

Ain't no valley low enough...

It seems like it has been a while since I have written a real blog post. And I am running out of old stuff to fill in with! Life is moving along; the grass is green, even if the trees are not yet. We had no snow in March. NO SNOW IN MARCH! Some of you can’t imagine what a difference that makes, but it is huge. Last year we had no snow in April and I was very excited about that. This year, spring came early, with temperatures in the 50’s, 60’s, and even the truly rare 70’s. Amazing. After the highest snow piles we had seen in a while here this winter, I was very grateful for an early end to it. It appears there is no more winter in sight, with each successive ten day forecast filled with 60’s and 70’s. I’m pretty sure it won’t snow again if we get to May. I guess this is the week I can safely clean out the coat closet, and wash and put away the snow things.

If there is one thing I have learned over the last 12 or so years of living in Minnesota (Let’s not mention all the moving in and out, shall we?), it’s that the weather affects my attitude. It never seemed to before, and I have wondered why. Here’s why: I lived in Alabama and Florida before, where the weather is nice most of the time. I happen to like hot weather, so that didn’t make me depressed. And when the cold weather came it seemed like a novelty and then moved on quickly. But not here. Here we get a beautiful fall that is in full swing in early October, and then a few weeks of brown. This would be extremely depressing if it were not leading up to Thanksgiving, with the hope of Christmas right after.

Then it gets cold in a hurry and it snows. It doesn’t matter how much snow you get that first time, it will be there a while. Then it snows again and starts to really pile up. All this snow is pretty exciting at first, what with Christmas on its way. And it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon. Ugh. And it is still dark until about 8:00 am. I could do without all that darkness. But the snow is pretty, and we have had a white Christmas every single year we have been here. Christmas comes and goes, and then you have January. That’s about the time I could be done with the quaintness of a dark, snowy winter. I have to go places, after all. I have to heave a really full grocery cart through the snowy, icy parking lot. My garage fills up with mucky snow that falls off the cars and doesn’t melt. It’s practically inside my house. And this repeats for a good while, usually through at least mid-April.  It does get to me.

Yet God has appointed us to live here, at least as far as we can tell. And we do love it here , except for the weather and distance from our family. And so, each winter I get to work on my bad attitude about the weather. This year I was given a bit of a reprieve, I was released early, and for that I am very thankful. After a dark, cold, snowy winter, I do get so thrilled to see a green leaf, or a robin, or a bunny that will soon eat my tulips right after they bloom. I really enjoy a walk, a run, a bike ride, and walking out the door without bothering to bundle up first. It does make me more thankful and more aware of what I used to take for granted. It’s all in the contrast. You never know what you’ve got till it’s gone, I suppose. But God cares for his children in winter and summer, grief and joy, and nothing, even deep, deep snow, can separate us from His love.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:38-39)

2 comments:

Gail said...

Excellent. Believe it or not, I can relate to your thankfulness. As you know, our winters are mild at worst and non-existent at best, but this winter was unusual and I'm thankful it's over.

M. Helseth said...

I too have a bad attitude just about the time the New Year's celebration is over. Winter in MN is too long! The snow left super early this year and I was very happy about that. Your post reminds me I need to be more thankful...