This past Tuesday there was snow in Charlotte. The day was rich. I quietly woke each of my three kids, one after the other. I did this on purpose to watch their faces, as wordlessly I opened their blinds. Irritation gave way to wonder. Life sparkled in their eyes as they focused on a transformed world.
It was like watching the Pevensies walk through a wardrobe and find themselves in Narnia. You go to bed with the tired, old familiar world, and wake up in winter wonderland. It is the closest thing to real magic our world has.
Snow days are so like the grace of God. In some fundamental way, the kiss of snow on the world transforms not just the world, but you and how you see it. God's gentle grace is just like that. It doesn't change your circumstances, it changes you.
Parenting may suddenly become the greatest privlege and blessing of your life, not just an everyday hassle. You begin to see the people your children are becoming. Your marriage regains it's spark, not because of something your spouse has done, but because you see them with a new appreciation. And all because God gently changed your heart, your way of seeing and living.
Yes, the same old stuff lies under that blanket of snow: the mud, the dog droppings, the broken toys. But somehow, unless the child in you is completely dead, the world still has the power to take your breath away. No matter how gray the world may be, God works with those whose inner child still lives. (apologies to Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth)
