mumblings, grumblings...or gratitude?

 

  Do everything without grumbling and arguing, (Philippians 2:14 NIV)

In light of the sudden Arctic blast that has found us, I offer this column to help us all get through it.
I tend to become grumpy when it gets cold. Because of my rheumatoid arthritis, I am not comfortable at all. My joints are stiffer, the cold goes right to my bones and warming up is difficult. I could go on about my complaints, but rather, I want to focus on gratitude. Gratitude because, number one, I am alive! (Even though I hurt!) Number two, most cold snaps usually are just that...a snap! They don't last long, though it can sure seem like it. I have warm clothes, a warm house and friends to commiserate with! I also live in Minnesota, which gives us bragging rights that, yes, we survived yet another one!
I am grateful that even on the most bitter day, it is sunny. That sun sure makes a difference. From the inside, it seems deceiving...yet it makes the day go better. I am also grateful for the birds. I keep two feeders full of their favorite seeds, with assorted nuts scattered on the ground for the squirrels. It is such a joy to watch the house finches and chickadees flitter from branch to branch on the nearby lilac bush as they sort of which seed they want. And their melody of song makes me smile.

It's the other side of the coin that really breaks my heart. The people who are homeless and live minute by minute in uncertainty. Many communities do have laws that state when it reaches a certain temperature, these folks are to be allowed into shelters, regardless of space. But what about when the temperatures are just above that point? The cold feels just as bad, even then. My heart grieves for them.

For the folks also who work in the great outdoors, weather like this can be just as miserable. Trash haulers, roofers, mail carriers...anyone who performs work in this manner are probably more miserable than most. Bundled to the nines, they are hating life, but realize this is what they must do to pay the rent.

So...seeing no way to avoid winter, what can you do? Instead of complaining, offer it up in joy. "Yes, Lord, I am cold, but I have a house. I have food. I have people who love me. I have many things to be thankful for." 

Gratitude can change your perspective on the simplest of mundane tasks and transform them into moments of sudden glory where you experience God’s presence in an intimate way.

"And Lord...have mercy on those for whom the cold is a way of life. Take care of them Lord, when they have no place to go; show them warmth and shelter. When they have no food, give them sustenance. When they feel they have no Hope, show them Your Love."

Amen