What God Has Made

It's snowing.
Again.
And again. And again.

It's February. I guess I should expect that.

But still, I see the forecast, I look at the gray sky... and groan.

Enough already I say.

There has been snow on the ground for longer than I like lately. And just when it melts away, new snow comes. Like I said, I live in Michigan. I should expect this.
But I struggle.

I think snow is beautiful. There is, in fact, an almost serene and calm that settles over the world as the fluffy flakes fall silently to the earth in an erratic pattern, almost dancing as they make their way from the clouds to the cold ground.
It makes the world seem clean, covering imperfections and the deadness that winter brings. It even makes the world sparkle a little bit.

But in spite of that I struggle.

Because snow is only pretty for a while. Then it gets dirty and messed up and it doesn't sparkle anymore.
Snow makes it hard to get around as easily. Snow keeps me in the house more.
You have to bundle up to go even to the mailbox.
Coats, hats, gloves, boots.

It's all good for awhile. Until February.
And about this time every year I just reach the point where I am done, done, DONE with winter.
It's also usually the time we get the most snow.

So yesterday I look outside and the flakes are swirling and whirling in their quiet, slow but steady dance.
And I say, "I am so tired of this. I don't want anymore snow".

And then. In the quiet recesses of my mind a thought occurs to me.
God made this snow. He made it fall in my town. He knows what it's doing outside- He did it!

So I shouldn't complain.

He directs the snow to fall on the earth
    and tells the rain to pour down.  Job 37:6 NLT

That being the case, what right do I have to complain when He chooses to direct the snow to my back porch?
What makes me think I should get my way and have no more snow when God desires that the snow fall?

So, no more complaining about the snow.
I've caught myself so many times.
That complaining spirit about snow is down deep-deeper than the snow in my yard.

But what does complaining about something say? It says, "I don't trust God to be doing a good thing." If we thought it was good we wouldn't complain.
Complaining communicates that what we want is more important to us than what God deems right.
In other words, we get whiny.
We, as mere flesh, too easily find fault with the way God chooses to do things. That's really the heart of complaining, isn't it? We focus on our discomfort. We focus on our desires not being met. We focus on what we wish were the case, how we think it should be.
We don't focus on the Divine.
How much less complaining would be done if our perspective on our circumstances were different?

This isn't just the case with the big things. I think we are just as apt, if not more so, to complain about the minor inconveniences, the small stuff, the little things, than the big things. Things that mess with our day. Things that interrupt our plans. Things that irritate. Slow us down. Wreck our schedule.
Things like too much snow.

Boy, those things can irk.

But what if God has so chosen some of those things? What if God has designed a certain path for you that you may not find the most comfortable?

Therein lies the choice. Complaining or Contentment.
Our trust in God's goodness and wisdom- where we set our focus in a situation, these will determine which choice we make. In blizzards and flurries alike.
Will we see the sparkly, pure beauty of the moment and experience peace?
Or will we see the slushy, dirty snow, feel the cold and miss the beauty of what God has made, what He has done entirely?

Tomorrow then, I will look out my window, see what God has made and I will say..."it is good."
And I'll mean it.

Lydia watching the snow.