The week began cold with grey skies and blizzard conditions. Blizzards can be treacherous and frightening. But if you have the luxury of watching the snow from a warm and comfortable location, the storm can bring many beautiful blessings. For me this week, the blessings of the blizzard were hidden in a slow customer flow which allowed our store some much needed time to clean out and get organized in our back room. It also allowed me to take some time during work, to get out and "play" in the snow, cleaning snow off cars and shoveling the sidewalk in front of the store. Providing a few minutes of service to employees and customers brought joy to my heart, and a "thank you" rose from a sweet employee.
By mid-week the storm clouds began to part and blue skies allowed light to cast away the gloom. Roads began to dry up and white snow radiated brighter days ahead. Customer traffic picked up in the store, and our little reprieve had given us freshly stocked shelves and renewed enthusiasm.
So, how can this relate to my life? It seems that the challenges I face, nothing more extreme than anyone else must endure, don't just blow through my world in a few days, and clear out with the efficiency of nature's storms. Spiritual and emotional trials are much messier than the slushy streets during a winter storm. The tears that flow in months and years of heartbreaking circumstances, can easily rival any flood from an unruly river.
What came to mind this week, as a reminder from the storm, was a thought I had as I drove to work the day the blue skies began to appear. It was still very snowy, and clouds continued to fill the sky. In fact, the roads were gross to even look at, with the snow and dirt and all else that had actually turned the pure white snow literally black. As I focused on the road covered with black, mucky snow it seemed depressing and discouraging. Then, I looked up to evaluate the skies forecast, and that's when I saw it. Light. Blue sky. Parting clouds. It was actually quite stunning. The trees were filled with snow and the sun reaching through the storm clouds illuminated beauty that was all around. More powerful than parting the clouds, was the hope and joy that came with the realization that as I redirect my focus UP, things look brighter. The moment sounds trite, but the experiencing of such a sensation, at least for me, was inspiring. I felt a intensely vivid lesson of how important my focus is on what I will see, both as I drive to work and in my life as a whole. It is not just a matter of where I am in my journey, but what I choose to focus on, that will make all the difference in how I will feel.
Today, I'm still looking up!
Two weeks ago I taught a lesson about looking for and seeing God's hand in our lives. As I considered the many ways I feel the love of my Father in Heaven and my sweet Savior, I realized that if I want to feel that love more often, I need simply watch more closely and acknowledge each whisper of the spirit. As I tune in, I will be filled more freely.
I began making a quick note each day as a tender mercy came to me with a little love note from my Eternal Father. It is most often something small, but clearly with my "I love you" from heaven brightening my day.
One day I received two text messages within minutes of each other, from two distant friends on opposite sides of the country, each simply expressing gratitude for me and love for our friendship. How could they both (that did not know each other) think to say such sweet words of encouragement within minutes of each other, just to brighten my day. Only through the whispering of the spirit could this message of love come to remind me of friendships and love that still hold me close when miles keep dear ones apart.
Each day something truly happens that reminds me I am loved by my Father in Heaven. It was not many days later another tender mercy filled me with such a powerful witness, I was immediately overcome with tears and gratitude. It was a very cold day, and I was requiring a little more effort than usual to keep my spirits up. I had the thought that I could really use a walk on the beach with a friend today to lift my spirit. Since I am in Northern Utah slipping around the icy roads and bundled up beneath layers of clothes to keep out the chill, the beach seemed such a distant dream of warmth and serenity. But my tender Father in Heaven heard my unspoken wish and immediately sent an angel to fill my heart with a witness of His love for me and my unrealistic desire. I received a completely random text picture of the beach from a dear friend who had taken her kids for a beach day in Virginia. The message simple said, "A picture just for you". I was instantly transported to a moment with this friend on a distant beach as she and her kids played. She had no way of knowing the thought I had just moments before, I had not even said the words out loud. It was not common practice for this friend and I to send pictures like this. The only way this could have happened was through the whispering of the spirit, to say my Father hears my silent longings, and is acknowledging my hearts desires.
Indeed, my testimony of Gods hand in my life has been strengthened each day as I watch for, and then express thanks for His hand, His hope, His tender loving care for my sometimes fragile heart.
