It’s still very cold, but the weatherman says it will get into the low 30s today, a welcome change. Reading about the freezing temperatures in the South where so many are without power…well it is hard to imagine what that may be experiencing. But then I think about those in Ukraine who have spent much of the winter without power. We’ve all become so used to the advantages electricity brings that we’ve lost all of those ancient skills that people used to stay alive. And I am reminded of the WWII novels I seem to be addicted to when folks survived in cold weather without much food, let alone heat, shelter, etc. Instead of taking so much for granted, we would do well to get up every morning and go to bed each night thanking God and the powers that be for all we have and the comforts we’ve become accustomed to.
When the brain doesn’t work, and life feels empty, it’s always good to focus on gratitude. There is something brain-dulling about being shut inside by the cold weather and snow. I think of all those times when I wished for a dull day, and now I have them nonstop, but instead of complaining and mentally whining, I’d do well to count my blessings, which are many. I have a warm place to live. I have plenty of food, even if it isn’t very exciting, because I choose not to cook. I have warm clothes, clear water to drink, hot water for showers, and to do laundry. I am not the object of an ICE roundup. I am a white middle-class woman. I have friends, my church community, and my daughter who takes such good care of me. I am very blessed.
But then there are the unspoken reminders all around us that we are blessed so that we may be blessings for others. It is not enough to say our thank yous each morning and night. We are called to find ways to share our wealth, make life better for others, and hold out a helping hand. How we do that is unique to each of us. There are no hard and fast rules, only the invitation to become vessels of kindness and mercy.
Yesterday at church, we talked about the calling of Matthew, and I preached on the calling of James and John, Peter, and Andrew. When they each responded to the call to come and follow Jesus, they had no idea what that meant, but before they could begin their journey with him, they had to take that first step, and the same is true of r each of us. We have to take that first step into the essentially unexplored world of kindness and caring, arming ourselves with gratitude, mercy, a lust for justice, and open minds.