snow days

With our most recent snowfall, the Georgetown area went over 20 inches of snow for the year. That may not sound like much to our friends back in Pittsburgh, but considering that 16 inches is ‘normal’ for a winter here, and that it’s only Feb. 16…well…it’s a lot for us.

The kids have missed school 6 days in the last 2 weeks alone.

It’s cold.

It’s gray.

Yet…

A good friend of mine posted on Facebook today that the 1^st of his 700 onion seeds had poked through the dirt today…

Tomorrow is the 1^st day of pitchers and catchers…

Undeniable signs that spring is on the way.

I heart spring!

Tomorrow is also the 1^st day of lent. Having grown up and served all my life in the Stone-Campbell/Restoration Movement, lent has not been much a part of my walk with Jesus. Occasionally I’ve ‘given’ things up, like my last year of Seminary when I swore off caffeine. This was probably a good move, if for no other reason than the fact that I was drinking 10-12 cups of coffee on a slow day at the time and my stomach felt much of the time as if it would explode.

This year, for some reason, is different. The ‘death’ that surrounds us in this deep, cold winter is starting to weigh on me. Denise has struggled with her health all winter. I’m missing my son. Louisville sucks. It’s a hard time in some ways.

But, there’s life on the way. And, that makes my heart smile.

It’s amazing to realize that in the depths of this season, God constantly provides glimpses of life that is and is becoming.

Last night, for instance...the wind was howling, snow was blowing again, I hadn’t been able to run outside for about 3 days. It was a yuck time.

And, in the middle of that, Emily declares “I’m done!” and holds up the fabulous scarf she’d just finished as a gift for Jon Welch! Life shows up in fun ways.

So, as a reminder that life is on the way, and is here now, I will participate in lent this year, and I invite you to join me.

One way that we can do this is to follow a Lenten calendar like this one from Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids. There are lots of other ways, but this is the one the Gill family will use.