I overslept this morning, so when I got up, the temperature outside had already climbed to an amazing 23 degrees—a veritable heat wave. The sun is shining, rays bouncing off the glistening snow cover. Lovely. So very lovely. God has certainly graced us with a beautiful planet. But, given the snow cover the birds are hard put to forage for seeds among the grasses so I’ve been putting out an extra pan of goodies beneath the regular feeders, It is so much fun to watch the various birds flit in and out, grabbing a bite as they go. I am so grateful for our amazing planet, for the vast variety of life forms and all of the ways it provides for us, and not just in a sparse economic way, but by providing us vistas of ravishing beauty.
With the intense cold, several of my friends have been dealing with frozen pipes, and if that applies to those I know, I hate to think of what all the others who are on the low end of the financial spectrum are going through. With the shifts in weather due to climate change it has been years since we’ve had this hard of a winter. In many ways, it is good for us, killing germs and viruses and allowing the fruit trees to harden in preparation for spring.

I think about the many rhythms of our lives. With a new great-grandson, I am reminded of the marvels of birth and growth, of achievements and decline. His development is truly amazing. Just seven months ago, he was a newborn, and now he is zipping around in his little walker, getting into all kinds of mischief, utterly delighted with life. Childhood can be such a time of magic if children are given what they need to grow and develop. Like the Psalmist, I marvel at how we are wonderfully made.
I don’t really long for “the good old days” when we had to cut wood and haul water and grow all of our own food, and yet there was something to be said for those times when we lived in tune with Nature. Far too many of us have become divorced from the ebb and flow of the seasons. Everything we eat and use comes from a store. And yet, I am so grateful for my warm house and the chatter of the clothes bouncing around in the clothes dryer. Our modern inventions have truly eased our way through life. Scrabbling for everything we needed was truly hard work, and folks did not live long lives like I’ve been blessed with. Much as I rant and rave about the evils of our times, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. With great humility, I sing quietly to myself, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”