Watching Snow Fall

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“If all the snowflakes were candy bars and milkshakes, Oh! What a snow that would be!”  (Barney)

Remember that song? Barney the dinosaur used to sing it. How could you not love Barney? I mean really. He was big and purple and…well...kinda creepy if you think about it… Still, as a little girl, I loved him AND that song. The thought of transforming every snowflake into a different type of candy bar was beyond exciting for a 4 year old! I actually remember praying, one time, with my child-like faith and little-girl voice, “Lord, if You’d really make the snow turn into candy, then I’d love You a lot more!”  I think the Lord smiled that day.

You know, we’ve gotten a lot of snow around here lately. What used to be viewed as fun and innocent is now something I truly dread. I used to love snow; now I don’t. I look at the weather reports and judge them from the standpoint of road conditions.  I see days where work closes early due to the hazardous travel and times where an event I was looking forward to earns a cancellation. Snow, especially these past few months, is not only an inconvenience, but it’s downright destructive.  If only I could snap my fingers when it starts to flurry and transform the whole batch of nasty precipitation into chocolate. J

How many times have you wanted to do that? I don’t mean change snow into candy, although you may’ve wanted to do that too! I mean, how many times have you asked, begged even, for the Lord to take that one thing that is inconvenient, scary, painful, or hard and just turn it into something sweeter; something not…well… it. I’ve done it a lot; many times without even consciously realizing it. I’ll get to a point where I start to feel that pinch of discomfort and I immediately start to pray- asking it to be taken away. 

The Lord has been convicting me of this lately. He’s shown me that this discontentment, this distrust of Him, is sinful. Who am I to question the journey that He’s called me to walk? Who am I, in comparison to He Who Is Sovereign, to doubt that which the He, the Sovereign God, laid forth?

I don’t mean to tell you that it’s wrong and sinful to have questions; rather, they’re a natural, human reaction to unpleasantness.  I don’t even think it’s wrong to ask God why. He already knows our hearts. He knows what we’re thinking. To voice those questions and heartfelt concerns to Him is just honest communion. He wants us to be open with Him.

The Bible is filled with accounts of people, God’s people, asking God to change their situation. Moses asked God to send someone else to Pharaoh.  [Exodus 4:13] Job asked for God to take away his suffering. [Job 13:20] Paul asked the Lord to take away his “thorn”. [2 Corinthians 12:8] Even Jesus asked His Father to let the cup of crucifixion pass from Him. [Matthew 26:39]

What’s the difference? Why am I wrong to ask God to remove the discomfort from me, but the perfect without-sin Jesus can do it? Because, friends, my heart is wrong.

 Jesus said:

 “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” [Matthew 26:39]

Here lately, when I’ve prayed for the Lord to take away the snow and ice or heal me from this cold, I’m more demanding that God fit His will into my schedule. Jesus was honest with God. He basically said ‘I know what You want Me to do. I know what’s in store for Me. It’s going to be rough. It’s going to be excruciating. If there is any other way, Let’s do that; but I know that there isn’t. So don’t do what the flesh of Me wants. Do what Your plan has set forth.’

What if we were to pray like that? What if we were to say “God, this hurts. God, this is tough. God, this is almost too much for me to bear. BUT I trust in You. Don’t do what my flesh wants. Don’t allow me to be swayed by my own sinful desires. Rather Lord, do what is best for Your will. Complete the work that will further Your kingdom farthest.” If all Christians were to pray about their situations like Jesus did, this world would be a different place!

Today, it’s still snowing/freezing raining. Today, my work is closed and our driveway is iced in. You know what, though? The Lord has brought me to a place where I can watch the snow fall with a drastically different perspective. We all need that reminder from time to time.

What *snow* is God asking you to just watch fall? What trial is He asking you to trust Him through?