Be still, my soul, for God is on your side,

Bear patiently, the cross of grief or pain.

Trust in your God, your saviour and your guide,

Who through all changes faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul, your best your heavenly friend

Through stormy ways leads to a peaceful end (Voices United 652)

 

Today is a snow day.  Buses were canceled, and the route up to the church is a little too hazardous to attempt the drive.  So, I’m holed up in my home office; well connected to the world but still living in that place of disappointment that my best laid plans got thwarted by the weather.

 

I’m not at all pleased with this state of affairs.  Working at home, for me, always feels like somehow I’m taking advantage of people’s good will.  Even though I’m perfectly aware that I work at home a lot, and I work over bankers hours on a regular basis, but it still feels a little like I’m cheating.

 

When I was a kid, we were always that one family that showed up to the school on snow days and had to work by ourselves with busy desk work; often in the library.  My parents were not believers in snow days and were big believers in education so even in the thickest of blizzards we were ushered out the door.  After all, we all had snow pants and hats and mitts; we were walking kids, not busing kids; what else do you need on occasions like this?  I remember two times quite clearly; one time we showed up at the school and went around banging on doors until the Vice-principal greeted us at the main door. He was in casual clothing; I was scandalized that he wasn’t wearing a tie, and he told us firmly that there was no one there and we should go home.  All of us were unsure we could do this; after all we were told to go to school!  The dilemma!  The second time was a time when the school closed early and we were all told to go home.  I was sent down to the Grade 1 classroom where my little sister was, so that I could walk her home.  I ended up with a whole mittful of little kids needing dropped off at home (bear in mind, I would’ve been in Grade 4 at this point).  But we all held hands, braved the wind, and made the trek to the various homes.  A normal 5 minute walk was over an hour.

 

Snow days weren’t in our vocabulary.  Ever.  At all.

 

So now, when I’m faced with a snow day, I’m stuck with this odd feeling of “But, we don’t DO snow days”, and I feel really compelled to work and get my lazy self down to the church and be about the work of ministry.

 

I’ve heard it said that we are ‘human beings’, not ‘human doings’.

 

And I wrestle with that a whole lot.  I have a LOT of trouble allowing myself times of stillness and ‘being’.  Snow days bring this weird sense of anxiety that I’m not ‘doing’ enough and that I ‘need’ to get on the road, and be about the business of furthering God’s world.

 

But maybe, this IS furthering God’s world.  Maybe this time of stillness, and quiet, this time of settling and stopping, this time of being instead of doing is what God wants for us all.  A time when we put aside striving, goals, and learning.  A time when we stop the frantic doing, the anxiety driven goal- setting.  A time just to, Be.  To be still.  To be with ourselves.  To be with God.

 

So today, as you look out at your unplowed road, as you sit with the snow muffling the sounds around you, as you stop your busy-ness and settle into the quiet; Join me, in allowing this to be the place that God is calling us in this moment.

 

Even if its hard.  Even if it feels wrong.

 

Because that’s what we have.  And we really were created as human ‘beings’; not human ‘doings’.

 

Blessings today, and remember you are Loved.  Especially on snow days.

~Rev. Lynne