Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Snowed/Iced In
We have been snowed/iced in here in the DFW metroplex for a couple of days now. And it is bitter cold outside still. A few more days until the temperature rises above freezing. Here a few of my reflections while I have been "home-bound."

We are not in control. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are not in control of everything. This week is the biggest week in many years in the metroplex. The Super Bowl is here! Can you imagine the hours spent in planning for the events of this week? Or, the incredible amount of money invested in special things planned JUST for this week? And, guess what? We are not in control. Now, don't get me wrong. I want Arlington and the whole area to be great hosts to this event. Sure, I want our area to benefit economically from it all. And, I want us to have the chance to show people the love of Christ while they are in town. But -- I can't help but stop and think about how we can plan and plan and plan and plan -- and yet, we ultimately are not in control of everything.

Rest is good. Many of us have been off work or out of school for a couple of days now. For those of us who "go pretty hard" at life, rest is a good thing when it comes. Sometimes we are forced to rest. I'll admit that I have taken full advantage of some down time. I have rested. I hope you have!

Relationships are important. When we are "forced" to stay home, we have the opportunity to develop our family relationships a bit. Relationships are the stuff of life. We all need healthy relationships. It is good to sit and talk, listen and just enjoy each other's company. Our busy lives often are so full of activity that superficiality rules the day. So -- this is a great chance to deepen the connection you have with the people who are truly most important to you.

TV needs help. I'm not the biggest TV watcher in America anyway. I definitely am not an expert on daytime TV since I have a JOB. But - I have flipped through the channels a couple of times in the past two days. Lots of channels -- U-Verse channels. And . . . TV just needs some help. There are plenty of options for viewing -- just very few good options.

Nameless people keep things running. While I am at home, sitting by the fire, sipping coffee, reading, studying, hanging out with my family - whatever ---- there is a host of people working across the metroplex. For most of us, they are the nameless people. They are keeping the roads clear, keeping the electricity working (even with the occasional outages), handling traffic problems, keeping the natural gas flowing, keeping telephone service intact, etc. Yeah, the nameless folks are making it all happen everyday -- and particularly today.

God is good. If you are reading this blog, you are blessed. If you have a warm house with a roof over your head, you are blessed. God is just good, y'all. He just is. He has provided so much for us. We take Him for granted so often. He is good. All the time.