“He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.” Psalm 147:16
I thoroughly enjoyed the brief snow we received last night. 24 hours later and there is barely any left. Life in Virginia.
As I walked this morning in the snow, it reminded me of my Mom. Growing up in Pennsylvania, snow lasted a bit longer than it does here in Virginia. One of my fondest memories of my Mom were her early morning walks in the snow. We lived on the 15th tee of the Gold Course in Treasure Lake. She would rise early, bundle herself up in her warm coat and heavy boots. Then she would walk the golf course holes 15, 16 and 17. All up and down hills, not an easy walk by far, add the heavy snow and you have a work out. She did it faithfully, day in and day out. I’m grateful for the example.
I don’t have it nearly has hard. There are no hills, rarely any snow. I think of her example every time I head out.
I’ve realized, over the past few weeks as I’ve made changes to my lifestyle, accepting truths into our lives can be difficult. My husband and I have recently joined Liberty Healthshare, an alternative to health insurance. It is a Christian based organization based on the Biblical principle of sharing each others burdens. For more information, click the above link. It’s a wonderful option.
The downside to Liberty is it’s difficult to join, mainly because if you have pre-existing conditions they won’t be covered, at least not at first. Thankfully, we don’t have any, except for one, my weight. As a result, we pay an extra fee and I have been assigned a health coach who I check in with each week. Once I reach my goal weight, I graduate from the program and we no longer have to pay the fee.
It’s been a God send for me. It has helped me accept difficult truths into my life:
I ate more than I thought I ate.
I exercised less than I thought I exercised.
I weighed more than what I thought I weighed.
I’ve also learned that watching what I eat and exercising regularly is a discipline. Just like reading my Bible daily is a discipline.
I have had so many conversations with different people about reading their Bible daily. How the practice of seeking God each day makes it easier to seek God when the storms of life hit. As our pastor said this week in his message, its sets us up for a future win. He also talked about how the real reward is the repetition.
He’s right. The repetition is the reward. I look forward to my daily time with God. It is truly the best part of my day. Now, thanks to Liberty, I’m adding new disciplines into my life. I am starting to find the reward in the repetition. I am now starting to look forward to my daily walks as much as I do my quiet time with God.
This mornings’ walk was particularly special. I spent it thinking about my Mom. It felt like taking a walk with her. I thought of how I would love to sit and have coffee with her one more time. I would love to tell her about my life, and all that has happened since she left us. I wish I had taken one of those daily walks with her back then.
Miss you Mom, today a little more than most.
Let is Snow!
