Winter Wonderland
Just the other day, we had a snow storm. It was mighty and powerful and drove all but the excited children indoors toward the warmth and comfort of the fire. The morning after the storm, when I looked outside, we had a winter wonderland.
Everything was covered in snow. There are a lot of trees where we live and all of the branches, that yesterday had been stark and bare, were piled high with white glistening crystals. The road, which had been dirty and black, was now covered with a fresh, unbroken blanket. The old grass and hibernating gardens were decorated with brightness and beauty.
I understand that many people don’t like shoveling snow and that the driving can be tricky, but gazing out my window that morning, I truly was in a winter wonderland.
I thought some more about that word wonder. Dictionary.com defines wonder this way, “to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel”. That got me to thinking about what makes me wonder. What fills me with awe and amazement?
Yesterday, I was holding the little nephew of a friend of mine. As his tiny hand grasped mine, I marveled at his perfect fingers. I was held in awe by his long beautiful eyelashes and I admired his happy smile. This little person brought me wonder in his creation.
One of my daughters has tight ringletted hair. As I brush it out, I am amazed at how the curls are so perfect and no matter how long I brush them, they always bounce back.
When I look at lilies, I appreciate the softness of the petals and the strength of the fragrance. Roses are incredibly delicate and yet their thorns can prick like nothing else.
Water, which brings freshness, life and renewal can also bring floods, death and destruction. Its power is amazing. After one of our hurricanes, the children and I went to Lawrencetown Beach. As we were walking along the base of one of the cliffs, the rushing water was carrying thousands of rocks in its wake. The sound was deafening. It compared to the fantastic crashing of thunder and the mighty roar of a lion.
Psalm 143:5b I meditate on all thy works;
I muse on the work of thy hands.
None of these things happened by mistake. God planned each and every detail. It has taken me months and months to make a quilt and yet God created the heavens and the earth in only six days! He didn’t drop any stitches. All of His corners matched. His design was perfect.
The first verse of the hymn For the Beauty of the Earth by Francis Pierpoint (1835-1917)
goes like this:
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.
How can I help but be in thankful wonder for the amazing gifts the Lord has laid all around me and even more so for the love which from even before my birth He has given to all of His creation through the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus.