i sat there, in the yard, praying. reflecting. silently mouthing the words to "Your Love is Strong," and realizing that God probably honors our open-eyed prayers even more than our bowed-heads one, because we're able to recognize and confess gratitude for the beauty before us.
i smiled as i remembered back to a very similar, yet strikingly different experience. i was in nashville, on the porch of my adorable sylvan park cottage, when a rainstorm struck out of nowhere. grabbing a towel and ditching my jeans and overshirt, i sat in the yard, beneath the early summer rain, and i sang praises. i giggled, and felt like a child. unafraid of the elements, no-- rather, in harmony with them.
this time, i sat there, my arms hanging around my bent knees, remembering those moments in the rain. those moments on the porch. those moments in summer. those moments of peace and joy and freedom.
this time, i was bundled in tights and snow pants, in shirts and vests and ski jackets and scarves. but, i sat and watched as the snow fell violently all around me, all over me, and i didn't feel the cold. while rolling the snow into a head for our giant snowman, the beauty around me overwhelmed me, and for a moment, i forgot about the freezing temperatures and my rear-end sitting in a foot of snow.
the wind picked up with the crescendo of the chorus, and i felt like it was the Lord whispering His promises to me once again:
"... So why do I worry? Why do I freak out? God knows what I need. You know what I need ... Two things You told me: You are strong, and You love me. Yes, You love me..."
i sit in a very different spot than in that summer place in my yard in Tennessee beneath the rain. but that's the beauty of the Lord. He's with us always, and He loves us indefinitely, regardless of the season of life we are in. because, it's not always summer. and just like those open-eyed prayers, i can't help but think that he rejoices with us more in our winter season revelations.
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