“The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.” (Isaiah 26:7 NIV).
Winter is my favourite season. This year, to my delight, we have enjoyed a steady and long lasting sprinkling of the ‘white stuff’; making for a good old fashioned Canadian winter! Our streets and sidewalks have been cleared regularly by plows either trying to catch up or keeping ahead of the seemingly endless snowfalls; easing our ability to move about the snowy city. Although it was bitterly cold outside, the snow sparkled and the sunshine was blinding. So, with no cream for my morning coffee, I bundled myself up and trekked off towards the store. My heart was filled with joy by the beauty of my surroundings. The naked winter trees had been lightly dusted with white and popped against the brilliant blue sky. Chirping sparrows seemed to be greeting me as I made my way along the shimmering streets. My heart swelled with gratitude and appreciation as I admired God’s extravagant handiwork that He’d created for our great pleasure.
As I walked along the streets I began to pray. Thanksgiving for the glorious day and God’s incredible gifts of nature, bubbled up from within my heart. Compassion and a deep desire for all those folks who were needing to feel God’s touch, fell from my lips. My feet trudged through the uneven snowy quicksand left behind by an overwhelmed sidewalk plow, and with each step taken, I praised the Lord. Before too long I had reached my destination.
Within ten minutes my quest for cream had been morphed into two heavy grocery bags of ‘necessities’. I’d now have to lug them all the way home across that shifting lumpy terrain. But for some reason this beautiful winter’s day had infused me with God’s love. With a smile on my face and more prayers in my heart I headed back across the parking lot. When I reached the city sidewalk I was met with a tremendous surprise. The snow was smooth! I stood and looked in both directions along the seemingly endless length of sidewalk. It had been freshly plowed. There was no sign of the sidewalk plow as far as the eye could see; not even the faint sound of an engine running. My walk home would be so much easier now. What an amazing gift. God had made my path smooth. I hadn’t asked for it, or complained about it; He just surprised me and did it. He did it because He loves me. “And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in Him.” (1John 4:16 AMP). The God who created the universe loves each one of us and even cares about the mundane details that impact our lives. Incredible! We serve an amazing God. Through Him we are righteous and saved and complete; we are everything He is. Praise God. Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for the many ways You reveal Your love for us; through the wonders of nature, friends and family, the kindness of strangers, and life’s unexpected surprises that speak directly into our hearts. May we always have Your praises on our lips, and Your love in our hearts. In Jesus’Name we pray. Amen.
London, Ontario, Canada