The Joy of ... Snow!

When I lived in Michigan, snow was a way of life. It came in the Fall, stayed into Spring, and if you lived in or visited the Upper Peninsula, you were likely to see snow in July. In the Triangle of North Carolina, snow is ... different.

We had our first snowfall today. Tomorrow is the first day of Winter, so right on time. The snow came in big, fluffy flakes and fell slowly, gently, in no rush at all. Each flake landed and disappeared. The ground is still too warm to hold such a small offering. The whole snow event  took place in the early morning, around 7 AM, and lasted 15 minutes.

My husband hurried into my home office where I was writing and pulled the blinds open. "It's snowing!" he said with the excitement of a little boy. To which I replied, "Will you look at that!" and we stood for long minutes, an arm around each other, watching.

In those moments, I experienced the Joy that Sister Wendy talks about in her Book of Meditations. She says that Joy is not constant, but flashes suddenly upon our shadows and darkness, illuminating and transforming our interior landscape. In joy, the world becomes different, marvelous, unique.

And so it was for those few minutes this morning.

As we finish this third week of Advent, Laudete Week, the week of joy, I pray that you find such joy in your life. Often.

Blessings on your day!

What Does Love Look Like?

During this second week of Advent, the theme is Love.

For my Advent reflection, I often use Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations in which Sister Wendy uses art, mostly paintings, to visualize four topics. One of these topics is Love. As I consider the different paintings and the author's perspective, I am amazed how often we use the word "love" and to how many different things we refer--Bromance, friendship, romantic attachment, sex, casual affection for humankind, parental love, significant engagement in another's welfare. We talk about being in love with nature, family, books, sports, movies, celebrities, pets, spouses, new shoes, our homes.

Some people who swear they are in love can be greedy, clingy, secretive, blind, obsessive, exclusive, angry, possessive, controlling, dramatic, self-indulgent (which is different from self-care), confined and insular.

Other people say they are in love and are patient, kind, inclusive, expansive. They find joy in the truth, look for what others are doing right, acknowledge blessings, make allowances, trust with their intelligence engaged, work actively for the other's welfare, repent when they hurt someone, relate to others with open-eyes and open-hearts.

Simply put, Sister Wendy offers:

• If it is love at all, the happiness [I would add, the welfare] of the other comes first.
• Love is a verb. It is an action verb. Love displays itself by putting the other first.
• If love is a verb, then it is a choice. Day by day. Hour by hour.

Paul sent a few words on the subject of Love to his boasting congregation in Corinth (1 Corinthians 13).

Read Sister Wendy. Read Paul. Then make your choice.

May you choose Love.