Thinking about how it is going to be almost 60 degrees today made me remember my last conversation with JonMark.
It was very late at night--so late that it was almost early. He said the temperature in his car registered at 1 degree and I knew that the windchill was far worse and had already chilled him to the bone as he walked to his car. He said that he was 'over it' which made my heart smile as I thought about him coming to see us one day and enjoy the warmth of South Carolina. . . family being reunited.
And then my thoughts drifted to how Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is supposed to received additional snow tomorrow--a lot of snow if I remember correctly.
Once again he will have to gather his strength to press on through frigid, dangerous, weather and continue his life. He will wear an extra layer and he will thrive. . . And I know that he will do it with a smile and his gentle grace.
But how? How will he both practically and emotionally do this? How will he practice resilience in his spirit? And how will we when the events in our days either spiral out of control or press us against an emotional wall that we cannot climb or access?
Katherine May says:
"By embracing winter, rather than trying to push it away, [I] have found a way to keep going."
(You can substitute the word 'winter' for anything that you'd like that you struggle with.)
By embracing the challenge, even the feelings of hopelessness that could come with it, and by taking all of that into the presence of God, we keep going.
Covid may still live next door, and grief may bruise your soul, and hopeless feelings can abound, but so can the chance to embrace the struggle. The choice to embrace it happens because you know that as you embrace a thing you do so with God embracing it with you. . . You are not alone and so you do not struggle, work, or weep alone.
I wonder today what thing you could find in your life that you and God could embrace together? And I wonder what might happen when you do?
Blessings
Rev. Derek
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