Thursday, February 3, 2011

Camelot - NOT!!!

With the jetstream pumping Arctic air into the Rockies and a massive storm paralyzing the Midwest and Northeast, there's a lot of complaining now about the weather. In parking lots we drive past the piles of dirty snow, reminders of our heavy December storms that will still be there a month from now.

Yesterday morning the faucet in our kitchen was frozen. Since the sink is on an outside north wall, and the temperatures were subzero, of course something's going to freeze. Duh. Why didn't we anticipate that. Roger called the plumber, who was having an insane day and would not be able to get here until 6 o'clock. Fine. In the meantime, we didn't have a spare space heater to aim under the sink, so Roger went to Home Depot to get one. "Sorry," they said, "the only heaters we have left are the ones on display." And they weren't what he wanted. So he bought some insulated sleeves for the outside faucets and Home Depot employees went on unloading the summer fans that have just arrived. Don't you love irony?

Instead, Roger went to Sears and found a small space heater. Good ol' Sears. In the meantime, the line unfroze itself and water started running again. We canceled the plumber and left the faucet dripping overnight with the little heater aimed at the pipes underneath.

But it got me thinking. No fact of our lives - not love, not genius, not even babies - provides more immediate proof of the existence of God than does the weather. He gave us rocks and trees and autumn and Eagle Creek Falls, and we do nothing but complain about snow and cold and the serendipitous randomness of the world. Come on, people - He never promised us Camelot, where the rain may never fall till after sundown, but we can be sure of this: our world is never boring.

On the contrary, we should be grateful that the seasons change and the world renews itself in spite of whether we've lost ten pounds or apologized or taken down the Christmas lights by Valentine's Day. Seasons of planting, growing, maturing and harvesting are gifts we take for granted. We remain reticent and skeptical while all around us is proof that God loves us and believes we can straighten things out.

According to people who have studied the phenomenon, spring starts at sea level and moves up eleven miles per day. You see? God loves us. He gives us time to adjust and change.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Well said. And I love the change of seasons. I know what you mean about the store employees putting out summer fans when it's still cold out. Several years ago we were looking for a screen to put in front of our open fireplace. It was December, but when we asked in the home improvement store, they said it was a seasonal item, and they didn't have any. What? It's winter! What better time to need a fireplace screen!

It boggles the mind. Thank goodness for change though. It would get awfully boring without it.

Jennifer said...

Oh, very nice!!! Very nice! Loved it.

Ask me why I used to live (and prefer to live) approximately 85 miles from sea level!!!! (oh, I miss it!)

Unknown said...

The Lord sendeth frozen faucets on the wicked and the righteous.

Our air conditioned world has trained us to think of comfort in terms of our personal temperature instead of enjoying its changes.

Mary said...

I usually love and appreciate the change in seasons. However, when my husband spent a week in Mexico while I gritted my teeth against the bitter Utah cold around New Year's, I admit dreaming about making San Diego my permanent residence.