Ice Storms

Being part of the greater St. Louis area, Godfrey is still thawing out from the Rain/Ice/Snow storm that hit the vertical mid-section of the United States this past Wednesday and Thursday. My family has been very fortunate that we haven't lost electrical power as millions initially and hundreds of thousands who are still without electricity even today.

Even as our schools are back to business and the driving challenges are limited to ice patches here and there mostly in parking lots, I have noticed that no one is labeling this storm the "Storm of the Century." The last storm I remember having not only the quantity of ice, but also the staying power that comes with the lingering frigid temperatures happened in the mid to late '70's down in West Tennessee.

Now I wonder how long it will be until I can again see the inspiring ice coating of the barren trees as the sun lights them up. Even as awesome as the sights are and were over the past few days I do not wish for this "pleasure" again any time soon. The pain and suffering endured by some because of the brutality of the ice makes any desire on my part to see the beauty of the ice in nature seem, at the mildest, cruel.

It makes me wonder how many of my own desires, if they were fulfilled, would by default, cause pain and suffering to those around me known and unknown. I have regularly and sarcastically suggested that a sign of growing old is hoping that it will not snow. No one ever hears a child say, "I hope it doesn't snow," or "I sure am glad it didn't snow." I now think that rather than being a sign of aging, these statements are born out of a certain maturity that may or may not be accompanied by age.

I am sure that as I enjoyed my days out of school, sledding and leisure back in the '70's as a result of that ice storm, I was completely ignorant of the pain and suffering taking place all around me due to the same event that was the origin of my delight. I remember my disappointment as time went by without another storm of that caliber showing up to rescue me from..., to rescue me from..., to rescue me from..., nothing terribly bad, only the routine. Memories are harder to create for me when I am in the routine. Time passes faster for me when I am in the routine, but I am not nearly as appreciative of the blessings God has placed in my life.

What is it about the peaks and the valleys of life that help us gain insight and wisdom into areas of our life that we would never uncover during the routine? How much realization comes during the peaks when compared to the education imparted during the valleys? I think this is why Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, "...we rejoice in our sufferings." I don't believe Paul is saying he enjoys suffering, but rather the fruit of suffering listed in verse 4 and 5 of Romans chapter 5. I want the hope that doesn't disappoint. I want the character and perseverance. I just don't want the suffering that produces those things. I want humility without the humiliation. I want the ability and discipline to focus on the truly important things in this life without the suffering and loss that immediately produces that desired focus. Can I gain the maturity to look past the struggles that are inevitably coming my way and see the opportunity, the honor or the glory in doing the good works that God has prepared in advance for me to do? Eph. 2.10