There’s a strange phenomenon going on in Western New York this week. The temperatures have been increasingly unseasonable and today, there was an abundance of sunshine and the temperature was an amazing 74 degrees.
First of all, it’s November 4th. Now that might not mean anything to most people, but I have now lived here for almost 6 years and I can assure anyone, that at LEAST in the last six years, there has not been a November where it was 74 degrees. Today? We washed the cars. My #6 daughter had her bathing suit on. Albeit, she had her Olaf panties over the bathing suit (we’re still working out the potty training logistics- let’s just suffice it to say it made for a great photo op that just might win me millions one day…) The sky was an absolute crystal clear blue that was so amazingly beautiful it almost hurt my eyes to look at it….
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| Look at that blue! |
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| Millions, people, millions... |
Hey, it’s been a long time since it was this warm AND this sunny!
But it was amazing. Everyday this week has been increasingly more beautiful and more warm.
There’s something about warm sunshine, you know? Sitting there, eyes closed, sun hitting me, filling me with an almost tingling sensation. The sun is amazing. Scary, but amazing. Dangerous, but amazing. Don’t worry, I’m going somewhere with this, stay with me. As I sat there soaking up the sun, watching my nine month old climbing all over the rock garden, banging rocks together, sucking on rocks, eating grass and giggling when I told her to stop, I couldn’t help but think of God.
God is amazing. Scary, in that it’s truly a leap of faith to believe in something you can’t entirely see. Dangerous, because proclaiming your faith boldly can put you in a place many have died as martyrs proclaiming.
As both my daughters played around outside, and I dutifully watched and pointed out all the spots my husband had missed while waxing the van, I felt energized by the sun.
Much like how I feel when I receive the Eucharist. Or how I feel when I make a really good confession and come out of the confessional feeling as though the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. Or how I feel after reading a really great book about my faith. Or getting together with some amazingly Godly women who help lift me up and make me want to be a better person.
As I sit here tonight, the ONLY one in my house awake, I can finally stop, breath, and examine how the day went. I can finally put into words how I felt all day long. The way I could see God so clearly in today.
The sun today was so brilliantly amazing. I really can’t put into words how beautiful it was today (more because I’m pretty sure the toothpicks holding my eyelids up are about to snap in half). But as I sit here, and recall what we did, and watching the two little ones play, I can’t help but think about how utterly brilliant God is as well. The author, designer, painter, sculptor, artist, of this amazing universe gave this day to me! Little ole me, a silly southern belle, plucked up from her the comfort of her southern roots, to this northern snowland where flip flops after September is almost unheard of. Where winter coats, snow boots, shovels, snow blowers, are pulled out in early to mid October. Taking the screens off windows, the swings off swings, the material off of the trampoline, the back porch shade down, have been long before today.
But today? On November 4th? Where almost a year ago to the day my neighborhood was under nearly seven feet of snow? (the snowvember storm?) Today, it was 74 degrees. Sun was shining, yard was mowed. Cars were washed. Babies giggled in the sun and played in the water. And I soaked every single second in.
My daily journal told me to be “ridiculously grateful for everything today.” I read that when I first woke up.
It’s like God was whispering in my ear, ‘hey crazycatholicmomma? It’s gonna be an amazing day today…. Don’t miss out on one minute of it.’
Thank you, God. Thank you for this gift that was today. May I strive to see this gift in every single day I am given.
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