Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Answer is Blowing in the Wind

*
We had quite a surprise this weekend. Athens received 6 inches of snow. I realize this isn’t much for those that live in snow country, but understand that this is the first time I’ve seen snow since moving here in 2005. It just doesn’t snow in Georgia. Especially not half a foot!
The snow was beautiful. It was refreshing.

It blanketed everything with a perfectly white cover. It was wonderful. It did make driving a bit difficult. ...and it was also heavy. The snow weighed down branches causing full grown limbs to snap like toothpicks. Entire trees blocked roads or fell on roofs. Most of the city lost power for a day.
This confused me. I lived in Utah for 8 years. It always snowed yet this level of damage never occurred. What was the difference? I decided since the trees in Utah face snow each year, their branches grow stronger to withstand the weight and harsh weather conditions. I realize different types of trees grow out west and it's obvious why. I thought of life. How is it that situations can affect people so differently? How is it that one person can handle pressure from life where another person buckles and breaks? The answer is with the trees. The trees that grow where the weather is harsh are stronger. The trees that grow where the weather is usually nice and fair grow but never have to prove their strength. People face storms that will test their very character whether they are ready or not. It's these life storms that show how strong a person really is.

There are days when I feel weighted down and broken like the tree,
and there are other days I choose to see the beauty in the storm. Thank you, Mother Nature, for the snow. And thank you, God, for the storms.

(I don't know who these people are. And don't make fun of Southerners. When it snows, we have to use whatever we have as sleds.)

* My camera is MIA right now. I did NOT take any of these pictures. All are courtesy of Mama Mia, a neighbor, and a coworker.

8 comments:

Beth said...

A wonderful, thoughtful post. Made me think - about life, weather, strength, weakness...
Glad you experienced the beauty, fun (and wisdom) to be found via a snowfall.

Bone said...

LOL I was just gonna say, give us half an inch of snow and we'll FIND a sled.

It just might be a piece of cardboard. Or some car part we've got sitting around in yard.

Shankar said...

Is your camera afraid of the snow? It reminds me of Bill Engvall's routine about snow: half-an-inch of snow (just about enough to make a footprint) is enough to shut down the state of Texas. Half-an-inch of snow in Detroit: hang on, I can still see my golf ball..."Fore!"

Coordination Queen said...

That sounds like some serious thought inspiring snow. It looks beautiful.

Patience said...

Brrrrrr!

That may very well be the skinniest snowman I've ever seen. Except for his ankles. They're fat!

Melissa and Dave said...

love the post.

Jamie said...

That was such a great post. I am having a very little struggle right now and I keep wondering what the purpose of it is?

I'll just think of it as emotional weight training! :)

Wallace Clan said...

Thanks for all the wonderful insight. What a great post. Also you did beautiful work last night. I really enjoyed it. So did Brenden.