Today, I woke up an hour later than I usually do. I puttered around the kitchen, putting off my morning exercise routine. I checked Facebook, responded to the many Happy Birthday posts on my wall, and then I decided to stop putting off the inevitable. I put on some pants, got my tennis shoes on, and started to head out the door only to discover it was snowing.
Now, for those of you who know me you know that I love snow. I love everything about it. I love the way it covers over the world's ugliest stuff and transforms it into something beautiful. I just love snow. No doubt about it. However, this morning, the snow made me rethink my plans for exercise. After all, I don't want to get sick.
As I mulled it over, though, I decided I was more sick of being in poor shape than I was concerned about catching a cold. I put a hoodie on and got out there to exercise. It was surprisingly warm outdoors, and as I stepped out the door I began to pray the rosary. I noticed the beauty of it all, and I realized that God had given me a very special birthday present. He had given me snow. That thought made me smile. He had also made sure to answer the prayers of one of my catechism students, who just the night before had prayed for snow.
God doesn't always send me snow, but I think He did this year because He knew I have been feeling down lately. It's not that I have a good reason to feel down. In fact, there are so many reasons to be grateful and thankful and I know all of them. Yet over the top of all of this good stuff there's this cloud of sorrow that hovers over me. Maybe I'm just emotionally exhausted from the past year's events, maybe I'm just so unused to living a life in which things are going well that I don't know how to handle it when things are going right. Maybe it's the fact that even though so many things are going well, I still can't afford to get my husband anything decent for our 18th wedding anniversary - which is also today. I don't know.
What I do know, though, is that God always seems to know just what I need to brighten my day. He delights in doing the little things like this, like little love notes left all over the earth. I think He does this for everyone, just maybe not everyone notices. Thank you, God, for my life. Thank you, God, for my marriage. It has survived much longer than anyone ever dreamed it would because of you. Thank you, God, for my son who continues to amaze me in so many ways. Thank you, God, for inspiring me to do more than I thought I could do. Most of all, thank you, God, for loving me enough to send me snow on my birthday.
Now, for those of you who know me you know that I love snow. I love everything about it. I love the way it covers over the world's ugliest stuff and transforms it into something beautiful. I just love snow. No doubt about it. However, this morning, the snow made me rethink my plans for exercise. After all, I don't want to get sick.
As I mulled it over, though, I decided I was more sick of being in poor shape than I was concerned about catching a cold. I put a hoodie on and got out there to exercise. It was surprisingly warm outdoors, and as I stepped out the door I began to pray the rosary. I noticed the beauty of it all, and I realized that God had given me a very special birthday present. He had given me snow. That thought made me smile. He had also made sure to answer the prayers of one of my catechism students, who just the night before had prayed for snow.
God doesn't always send me snow, but I think He did this year because He knew I have been feeling down lately. It's not that I have a good reason to feel down. In fact, there are so many reasons to be grateful and thankful and I know all of them. Yet over the top of all of this good stuff there's this cloud of sorrow that hovers over me. Maybe I'm just emotionally exhausted from the past year's events, maybe I'm just so unused to living a life in which things are going well that I don't know how to handle it when things are going right. Maybe it's the fact that even though so many things are going well, I still can't afford to get my husband anything decent for our 18th wedding anniversary - which is also today. I don't know.
What I do know, though, is that God always seems to know just what I need to brighten my day. He delights in doing the little things like this, like little love notes left all over the earth. I think He does this for everyone, just maybe not everyone notices. Thank you, God, for my life. Thank you, God, for my marriage. It has survived much longer than anyone ever dreamed it would because of you. Thank you, God, for my son who continues to amaze me in so many ways. Thank you, God, for inspiring me to do more than I thought I could do. Most of all, thank you, God, for loving me enough to send me snow on my birthday.
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