According to the calendar, it is spring. You know, the time of year when flowers bloom and warmer temperatures arrive. And yet, yesterday, here in the Land of Oz, it snowed. In fact, it snowed a lot. While we saw four to six inches around Kansas City, some parts of Kansas received more than 20 inches of snow. And the weather guys here in KC are saying we may see snow a couple of times again next week.
When I first moved to Kansas City, I loved the snow. I grew up in southern Tennessee where snow was a rarity, and when it did snow (or even flurry, for that matter), the entire city would shut down. Being a stay-at-home for those first years after moving to the Midwest allowed me to continue my "don't leave the house when it snows" Tennessee upbringing. I would go to the grocery store and stock up on all the essentials just in case we were trapped at home for weeks. I would cook and build a fire in the fireplace and play with my children and enjoy the wintry weather.
Now, as a single gal with grown children, I am not as fond of the snow as I once was. I dread the days when I have to drive in to work with snow or freezing rain falling from a gray sky. My 50-mile round trip becomes a treacherous and slow trek when winter decides to make its snowy announcement. And when that announcement comes when the calendar says it should be spring, I am not a happy camper, not in the least.
As I watched the snow fall yesterday, and yes, it was beautiful with large fluffy flakes, I couldn't help but think that the calendar is not in charge when it comes to weather and timing. Weathermen can predict and anticipate and plan and try to gauge the various types of weather-related events, but it is the God of the universe Who is ultimately in control of not only the weather, but, well, the universe and all it contains.
Pondering God's control of the skies and all the universe gave me pause and caused me to give thanks for His sovereign power, not only of the great wonders in this world but also of the smallest details of my own life. Each of us goes through different seasons in life ... some short and some long, some easy and some hard, some joyful and some filled with sorrow. How thankful I am that God is in control of every season, every change, every event in my life.
So when it snows in spring or is warm in winter, look up and give thanks ... thanks to the Ruler of all things.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Friendship Shopping
So what was your first thought when you read the title of this blog entry? "Oh, poor gal, she's looking for a friend." Or maybe, "Is she fed up with her current friends and ready to search for new ones?" Or even, "Man, she's got nerve to announce that she's shopping for friends!" Quite the opposite, actually.
Last Friday, I had to stop on my way home from work and purchase office supplies for my company at Sam's Warehouse. I needed to go two weeks ago, and I had managed to put it off. You see, I really dislike shopping, even when I'm spending someone else's money (as is the case when I purchase items for work). I seriously would order everything online that I need if I could and have it delivered to my front door. So, stopping on a Friday evening and shopping with the other thousands of people who were present is a true testament to my willingness to go the extra mile for my job.
As I was wandering up and down the aisles trying to find the things I needed to purchase, I became more and more frustrated with each passing minute. Too many people, too many items I couldn't find, too many reasons to run for home. And then, in an instant, everything changed. As I stood gazing at the aluminum foil, a sweet Southern accent filled the air. A voice that made me feel at home, comfortable and loved. I turned my head and saw my former neighbors, Cindy and Perry, and as always happens when I see them, my heart filled with warmth and happiness. They are Kansas City transplants like me, being born and raised in Arkansas.
I truly believe that Cindy and Perry are two of the finest people to walk this earth, and I've always considered myself immensely blessed that God placed them in my life. They stood behind me through my long and difficult divorce, and they were there for my children and me in the years that followed. They helped me in ways that I'm sure they aren't even aware of, from Perry teaching Matt to shave to Cindy watching my children so that I could get out of the house for a much-needed break. As my Daddy used to say, "They are just good people, salt of the earth, they are."
Calling out, "Hey!" as all true Southerners know is the only real form of acceptable greeting, we hugged and began to talk. As we stood and chatted about Perry's recent retirement, our children, their grandchildren, my book, gardening, work and all sorts of other things, I found myself happy and thankful for this divine appointment right in the middle of Sam's. My recent fuming and fussing about shopping and how much I disliked the experience turned into a time of laughter and love and friendship.
I hope I learned a lesson last Friday ... that joy in life can come in the most unexpected places if I'm willing to look for it. It doesn't have to be some spectacular event or production that imparts that joy; it can be a chance encounter in front of the aluminum foil at Sam's. It really can.
Last Friday, I had to stop on my way home from work and purchase office supplies for my company at Sam's Warehouse. I needed to go two weeks ago, and I had managed to put it off. You see, I really dislike shopping, even when I'm spending someone else's money (as is the case when I purchase items for work). I seriously would order everything online that I need if I could and have it delivered to my front door. So, stopping on a Friday evening and shopping with the other thousands of people who were present is a true testament to my willingness to go the extra mile for my job.
As I was wandering up and down the aisles trying to find the things I needed to purchase, I became more and more frustrated with each passing minute. Too many people, too many items I couldn't find, too many reasons to run for home. And then, in an instant, everything changed. As I stood gazing at the aluminum foil, a sweet Southern accent filled the air. A voice that made me feel at home, comfortable and loved. I turned my head and saw my former neighbors, Cindy and Perry, and as always happens when I see them, my heart filled with warmth and happiness. They are Kansas City transplants like me, being born and raised in Arkansas.
I truly believe that Cindy and Perry are two of the finest people to walk this earth, and I've always considered myself immensely blessed that God placed them in my life. They stood behind me through my long and difficult divorce, and they were there for my children and me in the years that followed. They helped me in ways that I'm sure they aren't even aware of, from Perry teaching Matt to shave to Cindy watching my children so that I could get out of the house for a much-needed break. As my Daddy used to say, "They are just good people, salt of the earth, they are."
Calling out, "Hey!" as all true Southerners know is the only real form of acceptable greeting, we hugged and began to talk. As we stood and chatted about Perry's recent retirement, our children, their grandchildren, my book, gardening, work and all sorts of other things, I found myself happy and thankful for this divine appointment right in the middle of Sam's. My recent fuming and fussing about shopping and how much I disliked the experience turned into a time of laughter and love and friendship.
I hope I learned a lesson last Friday ... that joy in life can come in the most unexpected places if I'm willing to look for it. It doesn't have to be some spectacular event or production that imparts that joy; it can be a chance encounter in front of the aluminum foil at Sam's. It really can.
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