“God’s grace is sufficient for you…” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
It’s December 1, and winter has already made itself far too comfortable. Ten or so inches of snow are piled up outside—and apparently that wasn’t enough, because we’re expecting two to four more inches tonight. I can almost hear winter asking, “Do you want more?” No. No, I don’t.
Some people romanticize snow, and God bless them, but for the rest of us, snow is cold, heavy, inconvenient, and—let’s be honest—usually arrives when we have somewhere to be or something we want to do. From a pastor’s perspective, the worst snows always strike on Saturdays! It slows everything down except our irritation. It blocks driveways and dares us to find the “beauty” in it while we’re digging out the car… again.
And yet, even in my grumbling, this snowy landscape has a way of nudging me toward a truth I’d rather not admit: I am not in control. Not of the weather, not of the calendar, not of the twists and turns that appear without invitation.
Maybe that’s the uncomfortable gift of days like this. Snow forces a pause we didn’t ask for. It interrupts. It rearranges. It reminds us that life doesn’t always accommodate our preferences.
The Apostle Paul wrote that God’s grace is sufficient not only in ideal conditions, but in the places and times where we feel weak, annoyed, or flat-out done with it all. If grace can meet us there, it can certainly meet us in a snowstorm on a cold Indiana day.
So if today feels frustrating… if the shoveling is endless… if the weather feels like an uninvited seasonal guest who overstays its welcome… maybe our prayer is simply: “Lord, if you’re not melting this snow anytime soon, then please melt my attitude about it.”
If you’re not a snow person, you have company. If you are a snow person, enjoy it (but I don’t want to hear about it!).
And thankfully, God’s grace doesn’t require us to enjoy the weather. God only asks that we let him work in the middle of it.
Prayer: Lord, grant me patience when the weather tests it, calm when my plans get interrupted, and safety for all who must travel or work in the snow. Keep my steps steady, my spirit grounded, and my temper gentle. And as winter continues, remind me that your grace is enough—even here, even now. Amen.
