A Day Like No Other

There are several natural scenes that are easy enough to connect to the awesome power of God. The dazzling sunset over the ocean that is so wide it can't be viewed all at once. The crystal clear mountaintop view of forested peaks covered with freshly fallen snow. The night sky on a cloudless night far out in the countryside. And my favorite, the massive display of color, majesty and power that we quite feebly have named The Grand Canyon. When confronted with what is so clearly the work of a force far beyond anything the human species will ever be able to create or control, there is nothing to do but stand in wonder.

Nothing like that happened yesterday. Even before the day began, much of it was known and anticipated with resignation. The snow started the night before and came and went, mixing with rain and ice all night. The scene in the morning was dreary, wet snow accumulating in ridges on back roads, main roads passable, but occasionally treacherous. A foot of powder would have been better - clothes don't get wet when powder falls from a tree branch above. The sun rose, or at least it got brighter outside, but the sky remained cloud-filled and gray. The plows were ineffective, little to scrape away, yet what was left was slippery. Nightfall brought little change. All roads were passable, but many at speeds below posted limits.

In truth, though, yesterday was just as awesome as any more notable day. It was far from ordinary, filled with challenges and pitfalls. It forced life to slow down a bit and it demanded careful attention. It had more than the average number of chances to be polite and let someone else go first. It was inconvenient, but an equal-opportunity inconvenience. The white blanket that covered everything was beautiful, reaching in all directions beyond sight and the snowflakes were marvels, too, each one crafted slowly and sent on its own path to earth. And in the midst of it all, God was present just as He is all days. He doesn't postpone because of weather.

It is important that yesterday be recognized for what it is, a day not exactly like any other, but still similar to many others, a day somewhat out of the ordinary with plenty of very ordinary activities. Most important, God was present in ways big and small yesterday. He was in-your-face huge as traffic snarled and extremities froze. Yet His call to worship was whisper soft. No doubt, the vast majority missed His holy presence. Today, in ways familiar and unsuspected, He also strives to be known. And tomorrow, He will likewise be with us, probably in a different way, but still quite accessible to those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

May you find God with you where ever you go and may you hear His still, small voice on the way.