Normally, I don't look forward to Christmas. I dislike dressing up to go to parties that I don't feel are necessary, and I dislike hearing "HO HO HO" every two seconds. But this year, something is different. There's something incredibly magical about this winter, especially Christmas. There's something new and special about the way giant snowflakes fall on the ground and the way the trees look when covered in a fine white dust. My heart balloons with joy when I walk outside and feel the cold bite of the wind as snow cuts into my cheek. I feel alive, I feel the heartbeat of the way nature celebrates certain seasons. I can see God's beauty demonstrated in the curve of every branch, in a simple footprint, in a bald patch of grass.
I walked (waltzed) down Market Street last week underneath a sky full of puffy snowflakes that landed in my hair and on my eyelashes. I stepped through puddles and found new snow where no one had ever walked; I sang Christmas carols while dancing down the street. Something in me feels reborn this winter and I can't understand why. My life is nowhere near perfect and I have things that are weighing heavy on my heart but when I set foot outside, God is good enough to let me forget the things that trouble me and let me focus solely on the fact that He created all of the beauty for me to enjoy.
It leaves me breathless.
I gasp for air, this time not because my heart is drowning, but because I'm dazzled by the splendor that wraps its arms around New York in the wintertime. I'm dazzled by the Creator who made stark and barren trees suddenly light up with the decoration of a simple powder. I'm dazzled by the way a fog lifts and lets you see the ugly become beautiful. In truth, I'm dazzled by the love my God has for the creation that He brought into being. He wants us to see and appreciate His artistry, no matter what season of life we're muddling through. Right now, my heart hurts and I'm trying to study for finals and I'm lonely; somehow, His creation reminds me that none of that really matters. He's here, and that's what matters. I have a loving, caring, crazy-in-love-with-me God. Why should anything else matter?
No comments:
Post a Comment