Snow Day…Every Day
written by
Jessica R. Patch
“Snow Day!” Myles was thrilled to stay home.
Bailey grunted, "Just one more day we'll have to make up later." She's so positive.
As I poured my first cup of coffee, the best cup of the day, Myles begged me to go out and play. Bailey's too proud to beg.
"I don't care." I had no intentions of going out. I silently hoped they wouldn’t ask me. I’ve never offered myself up on the altar of frozen toes and fingers. I'm quite happy looking out the window, drinking my coffee, staying warm from the fire. No sireee, I am not an outdoors woman.
They didn’t ask, but as they ran off to gear up for the rare southern snowfall, I hear Bailey say, "Can't wait till Daddy comes home."
Daddy likes snow. Mostly, Daddy likes pelting his children with hardpacked snowballs and watching them drop like flies. I enjoy watching from the window as they scream for him to stop.
A new cup of coffee later, the kids barreled out of their rooms, layered up for the endless snowplay.
"Mom, Bailey says not to eat yellow snow. What's yellow snow?"
I explained and she laughed while opening the back door. The gust of icy wind reminded me why I wasn’t going out.
"Have fun," I called as they took off, Myles slipped on the patio but jumped up. "I'm okay!"
By my third cup of coffee, the backdoor opened. "Look, in or out. I'm not having you drip all over the floors and freeze the house out." I walk into the living room and see Myles, already on the couch with a bowl of Cheetos and Bailey picking up wet clothes.
"What's going on?"
Myles looked at me and stuck his feet out. "I got frostbite."
"You haven't been out long enough for frostbite."
He shrugged. "Have you been out there?"
I got his point. "Bailey, are you going back out?"
"Maybe later."
That was a no. I reheated my cup of coffee, came back into my room and sat at my desk to finish the last page of a Bible study and it hits me.
We, as Christians, are a lot like my family on a Snow Day. We spend a lot of time talking about playing in the snow. I like the idea of it, but I'm not willing to even try. I enjoy the comforts of my own four walls. My kids go, but don't stay out long enough to build anything. They spent more time gearing up than going out.
The world around us is forever like winter. Cold. Bitter. Icy enough for us to get bitten, but we must venture out and DO something. The four walls of our churches are too comfortable. Some talk about going. Some spend all their time gearing up and never going. Some stay inside without ever venturing out and knowing they never will. Some go out but don't stay long--never laying foundations, building relationships with people who need Jesus, or suffering the frigid temperatures to get it done.
It doesn't feel like fun.
Only a few go out and stay out long enough to no longer feel their flesh or their noses run. They work hard. They build. They smile as they do it. They inspire. When they come inside, accomplishment glows from their rosy cheeks and cracked lips. Something wonderful has happened! It's time to come in, get warm, get a bite to eat and a drink then go right back out.
My kids never made it back out. They talked about it throughout the day.
"Maybe tomorrow."
The sun came out. And it melted the snow away, right along with their opportunity.
Don't let your opportunities melt away
Jessica R. Patch lives in the mid-south where she writes contemporary inspirational fiction. She is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Agency. When she’s not glued to her laptop or sneaking off to movies with her husband, she enjoys embarrassing her teenage daughter by wearing pajamas to take her to school, beating her seven-year-old son at board games, and inventing ways to get rid of her irksome dog (she hasn’t actually tried any of them…yet). You can connect with Jessica here just by clicking on these links:
her blog http://jessicarpatch.blogspot.com/
twitter https://twitter.com/#!/jessicarpatch .
Jessica, it has been an honor to have you join me at my Nest. I know my readers have been just as blessed as I have today. I can relate to this story so very well. I think we probably all can at some point. What a great reminder to get out there and live for Christ! To get out there ready for all He has and to encourage others to do it with us! Blessings to you sweet lady. I hope you come back and visit.
