Snow Angels

I usually do not have much good to say about winter. For me the cold means a significant decrease in my independence as I need assistance to put on or remove all my winter gear and if the snow piles up, it is often an insurmountable obstacle for my wheelchair. Recently however, God has given me a new perspective on the winter. This past Sunday as I was heading to church, I inevitably became stuck in the snow just a few feet from the bus stop. As I remained a considerable distance from the church, in an area with little pedestrian traffic, early on Sunday morning, I wondered what to do next. Within a few moments, to my surprise, a woman turned the corner where I was. I did not want to ask for her help because I did not want to inconvenience her. I knew it wasn't going to be an easy feat to get me unstuck and all the way to the church. She passed by and suddenly turned back to say "can I help you get somewhere I have some time to kill so I thought I would go for a walk." Not only did she proceed to dig me out of the drift but she continued to push all the way down the road. She mentioned that she herself does not go to church but that she should. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to tell her all about my church. My description of the loving, supportive community was pleasantly reinforced when we were about halfway and a member who was driving his family to church walked back to offer more assistance. Being that I was now in the care of someone I knew was going to church I thought that I could relieve the snow angel from her duty so she could get on with her day. Amazingly, she was very insistent that she escort us all the way to the door. When we got there I remarked how blessed I was to have met her and thanked her very much before we parted ways. Through that experience God showed me one of the ways that He provides in times of need and also how He can work through supposedly purposeless and frustrating situations.

 I was struck by this again the following day as a fellow bus rider who was previously only an acquaintance noticed me stuck at the crosswalk. She graciously volunteered not only to help me cross the street but to make sure I could make it to my home. Along the way we discussed our studies and to my surprise she was very interested in my faith in God. It occurred to me that were it not for the frustrating challenges of being caught in the snow, I would not have been blessed by the kindness of the snow angels whom God had placed in my path, neither would I have had the opportunity to plant spiritual seeds or make a friend of an acquaintance. The next time you are wondering why something is happening to you, wonder instead what God is doing with such circumstances and look for the blessings just a little beneath the surface.

You may recall that one of my initial complaints about the snow was related to increased dependence on others. However through this experience and many others I have learned that there are benefits of dependence, not only for those who are dependent but also for those who are depended on, not only for individuals but also their communities. Therefore my next few blog entries will be reflections on the various social, emotional and spiritual fruits that may grow from dependence.

by Chantal Huinink