Today?
December 4, 2009 (Friday)
Snow has been predicted for later today. A rare occurence in these parts, it never hangs around very long, and is always exciting for residents of South and Southeast Texas.
Christmas Day 2004 saw a big snowfall in Victoria, Rockport and Corpus Christi. Everyone woke up to a brand new world Christmas morning. Cameras of every kind were pressed into use, as thousands of photos were made. Books of photos were published and are still available. They are fascinating volumes of high quality.
Snow is so rare here that it is welcome. In other parts of the country, however, snow brings hardship for those unable to cope with the responsibilities that it brings to keep it from damaging homes, blocking streets and walkways, and generally bringing normal life to a slow crawl.
The difference in viewpoints about snow, etc. brings to mind some old proverbs. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” Snow-haters might say to snow-lovers, “Don’t guild the lily.” Those who play in the snow might say, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” A blizzard that shuts down a city might be described thusly: “Fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.” A long-awaited snow scene is “A feast for sore eyes.” And on they go, demonstrating how people have different perceptions of enjoyment or pain.
I suppose that’s a choice we make every day. How will we live today? How will we react to the stuff that can annoy or anger us? How will we show appreciation for the little things that others do for us? How will we reach out to others in a positive way? We have a choice.
How will we choose to live out this brief life span God has given us? The choice is our own.
Each and every one of us shall emerge from this life and stand in the presence of Almighty God. We shall have no lands, money, or earthly possessions. We shall not have our titles, our crowns or our executive offices. We shall present to God as the record of our sojourn whatever is within us. As far as our deeds are concerned, Jesus has told us he will be very interested in how we have related to other people, particularly those we can help. In the meantime, we can learn the awesome lesson that it’s not what happens around us that counts–it’s what happens inside of us that matters. And that, dearly beloved friends, is our own choice.