Anticipation, Wonder, and All that Is Right in the World

I sipped coffee from my new favorite perch on our kitchen table this morning  My legs swung free as I delighted in the view outside our large picture window. 

Well, it mostly delighted me. 

While a soft snow covers most of our back yard, I'd hoped for a plethora of thick flakes to hide the ground. There's enough to remind me of the fun I had yesterday as large snowflakes fell. But nighttime rain and sleet damaged our southern winter wonder land. 

Our marsh mellow world melted too soon. 

Home alone when the afternoon snow began to fall, I dressed in layers and bundled in blankets on our front covered porch. I didn't want to build a snowman, but I sure enjoyed watching as snowflakes dotted the sky and turned everything white.Waiting for the storm and then watching it unveil filled me with childlike anticipation, akin to what I feel on Christmas Eve.

For even a light dusting calms our southern lives and forces a slower pace. Neighbors walk outdoors. Schedules are ignored. And our world pulls away from the frenzied norm. 

 

 

A few weeks ago I felt God ask, "Can you simply live as a satisfied sick person?"

I'd been reading my Beth Moore Bible study when the thought grabbed hold. While I dabble in several creative outlets and keep a full enough schedule, physical limits demand rest. A simple grocery store run requires planning and recovery. Thoughts of a vacation or conference or night out at a concert prove more exhausting than fun. 

I've written about this before. My struggle to accept life as it is now verses what it was ten years ago. 

So the question stopped my flow: Can I live satisfied as a sick person? Can I let go of dreams and goals and enjoy each day, every student I teach, my cottage home in the woods, and the people who make it feel like home? Fully satisfied?

As I sat on our outdoor swing yesterday, watching the snow fall with an overflowing heart, I knew the answer: "Yes, Lord. I will live satisfied, right here, right now, basking in the wonder of your world and creation and all that is beautiful about life."

Don't worry. I haven't become a bona fide Pollyanna. I'm still quite aware that there are horrific things happening in the world right this very minute; atrocious acts we can't truly fathom.

But when snow fell in the south and a holy hush calmed the norm, wonder came easy. Anticipation led to acceptance. And if I'll keep living in that place of acceptance, everything can remain right in my world. Not always easy. But definitely right.








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