Byron and I went to Tennessee last week with our friends Leslie and Steve. We not only got to have a few days of R & R but we also had the unexpected treat of a genuine snowfall the day we arrived.
After we did a little grocery shopping for breakfast supplies, we drove around checking out the fluffy white stuff that was piling up all over town. And, guess what we did the first chance we got. You guessed it. We had a snowball fight. Yep. A fight of the snowball kind. It was the first one I'd been in for many, many...many...years and it was a blast! The snow was great. It was wet enough that it held together perfectly even though I was a lousy shot with my round, white ammo. I tried valiantly to whap Byron and Steve without much success but I did get a few good ones on Leslie as she did on me. What a great time we had! Funny but I don't remember having that much fun as a kid with snowball fights. The snow got a couple of inches deep and made everything beautiful. Even though it was March, it felt like Christmas.
We had a few great days away from responsibility and I laughed more and relaxed more in those few days than I've done in a long time. The Bible says, A cheerful heart does good like a medicine...Proverbs 17:22. It's not that laughter and a merry heart do away with the often harsh reality of life or monotony of daily responsibility, but they rather soften reality's edges and put it into a more balanced perspective. It's hard for me to get flustered at some insignificant inconvenience when I am cheerful or when I have laughed until I'm physically tired.
On a deeper level, when our hearts are cheerful, we have peace and when we have peace, our hearts feel free to be cheerful. When I allow my problems to become His, I can relax and enjoy life. That's when my heart rests in the Lord. That's when my stressors are in His hands. When my sorrows lie in His lap, and my pain is in his control, my heart breathes a deep sigh of relief. It's then that I am truly free. Do I always and in every tough situation find myself in this place of peace? No, because I am still learning to release the grip of "mine" to the Lord. He will not rip my heartaches from my tight grasp. He wants me to give them to him willingly, in trust, believing that He is faithful to handle every sorrow or trouble. The Lord is so patient with me.
Father, thank you so much for the fun time we had with our friends last week. I loved the beautiful snowfall and the down time with people I love. Your timing is always perfect. Thank you for peace that passes all understanding. I love you utterly.
Suz
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