Snow Day

Today I left the house for the first time in a few days....For those of you who live in or around Nashville you understand why.   Friday we experienced something fairly unusual for middle TN...snow...And lots of it.   What we are lovingly calling snowpocalypse 2016, may not seem like much to those who live in Boston or Colorado, but to us, 6 inches of snow is a bit if an adventure to say the least.   At first when I heard it was going to snow I blew it off and made plans for the weekend like normal.   But on Friday morning when I looked out the window I realized that all of my plans were no longer going to happen.   a state of emergency was declared and the news stations were telling us to stay home.  Schools were canceled.   Offices closed.   I'm sure there were many who felt  disappointed, perhaps even frustrated over this weather.   And I can understand it completely....but on Friday afternoon when my boss told me to log out early and go play in the snow (my husband and I work from home) I couldn't help but feel like a giddy child who got to play hooky from school.    So we did....my husband, my stepson and I got all dressed up, but on our warmest gear, blew up the pool floaties we had left over from summer and headed to the hill at the end of our neighborhood to do a little floaty sledding.    I have to be honest....it was some of the most fun I have had in a very long time.    We laughed, we played, we spent time as a family and with our neighbors.   It was like a great equalizer...we were all in the same boat and we all had the same thing to do...nothing but enjoy the 6 inches of white fluffy ice that had fallen upon us.  

We came home that evening tired but relaxed and filled.    It was like an unplanned, spontaneous vacation that we never would have taken had it not been for the snow.    And all weekend 2 things kept going through my mind....first the verse
Proverbs 16:9 In their heart humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
Sometimes the Lord directs us in more serious matters.   Sometimes He leads us into deep water and calls us to trust Him.
Sometimes it's just in the little things where He stops us, halts our plans, and all we can do is go with the flow and make the best of it.   Finding the blessings in the change of plans.

The second thing that kept going through my mind was this song
"You're a good good Father, it's who You are, It's who You are, and I'm loved by You, it's who I am, it's who I am"

This morning I was scheduled to sing in the chapel on the worship team at my church but could not get my car out of the spot I had parked in due to ice, so I stayed home and watched church online.   In the sanctuary, (where they film the service to air online) they sang that song.     It nearly brought me to tears as our pastor got up and began to speak of the Love God has for us.   The great love that has nothing to do with who we are or what we are capable of.   It has nothing to do with how busy we are or what we plan for our weekend.    That He simply loves us because He is love and He chose to love us.

This weekend....to me.....was a sample of that sweet love.    I felt His love as I spent a weekend of time with my family.   I felt His love as I looked out at the beauty of the quiet, white snow.   I felt His love as we spent time fellowshipping with friends.    I hope that you are able to sense His sweet love this week....wherever you are.   Whether you are surrounded by inches (or feet) of snow or just going about your week as normal.   He is our good good Father, And we are loved by Him....It's who we are.