Prayer to Winter God

God of Hidden face

I have been so angry

at your coldness.

I want to welcome you home.

But you won’t come.

We used to be friends.

That was when you came to me

in just the right amounts.

But now, you are too much for me.

It will take a warmer heart than mine

to hear a snow-covered gospel.

But oh, God of thawing moments,

when I allow you

to melt my frozen life

I reconsider.

My vision returns

and I know that if I am your friend

only when you come in the right amounts

then I am no friend at all.

Winter God

God of hidden face you are not always spring

but your unconditional love

has touched my thawing heart

and made it warm again.

I am not always present to you

in the right amounts either.

Yet never have I returned

to you,

and found you

not there.

O God of unconditional love

it is an iced-in message

you are asking me to listen for

You are not always spring.

Written by:  Macrina Wiederkehr

The mighty oak...

was once a little nut that stood its ground.

The Cold Forest

While the other art students were painting spring gardens,

I chose the cold forest.



The Changing Seasons of Life



Fall

Seasons put my life into perspective. I stare under the trees in the area where I live and know not only that some of them are older than me, but will be here for many generations to come long after I’m gone. It puts things into perspective for me.

In a flash, I have aged.  I have propelled myself through another 5 years in my life.  And before I know it, I’m in my 40s, 50s, and finally 60s.  Decades seem to fly by and before I realize it time can fly by me.

Nowadays, I find ways to ensure that I am enjoying life as much of it as I can and most importantly living the life I want to live



Winter

Life is not a dress rehearsal.  When I was younger, I did not act in the moment because I thought there would always be another moment. No longer do I let so many opportunities and possibilities pass me by.  I pursue every opportunity that presents itself, and try and live as much in the moment as possible.




Spring

It is not always easy.  I lose track of days and weeks that dissolve into months and before I know it, another season has come and gone.  I look back on those days and say, “What do I have to show for the last three months?”  Sometimes, not a lot.  Sometimes I will think only in terms of my work, and put aside my own spiritual and emotional needs.

When a change of season is upon me, I realize that I have to try and as much as possible be a whole person.  And work on all areas in my life as much as possible day to day, week to week, and month to month.

Sure, some weeks, some area may suffer from a little neglect. But I should never let months or seasons go by without paying attention and taking care of my needs.  None of us should.



Summer

Winter at the Capitol Campus

The Lovely Snow!



Street on the way to work.



It snowed harder and wetter today.  The snow was non-stop.  It was rather hard walking to work.  There were no sidewalks, just a lot of snow.  None of the streets were clear either.  The city usually takes care of the hills when it snows; but has always forgotten to do the flat streets in the city.  If the street happens to be on a county route the state's snow plows take care of it.  But it is usually the vehicles that are left beating down the snow.  When I arrived at work, the bottom of my slacks were soaked from the wet snow.  Half of the personnel in my office did not bother to show up.  They were probably smart not taking a chance considering the amount of snow on the roads.  The snow was supposed to move easterly and into the Atlantic, but it decided to come west.  The Appalachian Mountains did not manage to block the snow flurries this time.  The snow is about six to eight inches in the city and 12 and up in the mountains.  But how I love the trees.  No matter what the weather or season, trees are very beautiful bare, budding, full bloom, with fall leaves, and yes, with the lovely snow!



On the way home, a snowman with a mustache.



Evergreen almost white.

Everygreen tree with heavy snow.

On the way to work

On the way to work in the snow.

Beautiful Winter?

Oh yea.  Winter is fine if you don’t have to walk on sidewalks of ice.  I love the cold weather, but not when it gets into single digits and negative temperatures.  The Polar Vortex from Canada came and pierced us this January.  Anyhow, I am dealing with the sidewalks and cold with my real-world Clarks Derby Boots, my balaclava over my head and face, my orange jacket and orange gloves.  Even with all the cold, I still have fun enjoying nature.  Where do all the birds go to keep warm?  In an urban area where I live there are many nooks and crannies they use to hang out.  And of course, even though many birds weigh mere ounces, they are insulated by dry feathers.  How about the stray cats in the neighborhood?  Are they really strays?  How about the squirrels?  I guess they hang out in their nests which are made up of leaves, twigs, and lined with feathers, fur, and other tender material to create comfort. 

Life goes on even in the coldest days.

Beautiful Winter