This past week, we have had about twenty inches of snow. Cold temperatures have kept the snow on the ground for quite some time. Yes, this is Connecticut. Yes, we should expect it. Yes, we should stop whining.

You see, we have been spoiled over the past few years with extremely mild winters. There has been little snow and while temperatures were cold, it was not horrible. So, you can perhaps understand why we are growing weary of this season.

We had it easy. Now it’s hard.

Humans like easy. Humans like comfort. Humans like instant gratification. I find that as I’m getting older that hard things are…hard. The stamina and perseverance I had in my twenties is very different than what I have now. Oh, sure there are days when I’m like the Tasmanian devil but there are fewer of those than there used to be.

Purposeful or Panic-Stricken?
Multitasking is a long-gone skill. Today it’s a “one thing at a time” approach to nearly every task. And do you know what? I find that when I’m hyper-focused on something, it gets done quicker. This seems counter-intuitive, right?

It would seem that the more things we do simultaneously, the more we would get done, but that’s not true. I would venture to say that many of those tasks will need to be re-done because we didn’t give them our full attention.

And honestly, who has time for do-overs? Not me.

We do not see Jesus walking around with To-Do lists in the Bible. We do not see Him stressed out over what He needed to accomplish on a particular day. There is not one verse in the Bible that says “Jesus ran.” He was never in a hurry. Ever.

Remember the story of Lazarus (John 11:38-44)? When Jesus was told that His bestie was sick, He did not run to him. In fact, He waited a few days. This makes no sense, right? Can you imagine hearing that a loved one was ill and doing nothing? Didn’t Jesus love Lazarus? Wouldn’t He want to heal him?

All of these things are true. But there was a bigger purpose. You see Jesus didn’t want to just heal Lazarus. He wanted to show the people the power of God to raise him from the dead. He wanted them to see the miracle working power so that they might finally believe that Jesus was who He said He was.

Jesus operated out of purpose, not out of panic.

Changing Circumstances vs. Building Character
We may not always understand God’s ways or His timing. We want what we want when we want it. I want it to be spring (well, really, summer but I’ll take it!) However, no amount of whining or complaining is going to make time go faster.

I may want some other circumstances in my life to change this minute but that doesn’t mean they will. The point is – what am I doing while I’m waiting? What is my attitude?

We all want God to change our circumstances or the people in our lives but He’s more interested in changing us. We all want Lazarus moments, not waiting lines. 

While we wait, let’s strive to adopt an attitude of thankfulness for all God has given and done for us. I may not be able to be thankful for snow, but I’m super grateful that I have a son who cleaned my car. If I focus on him, I can withstand another snowy forecast and count all the things God has given me as joy (James 1:2-4).

We may not be grateful FOR our circumstances, but we can be grateful IN them if we change our focus and reflect on all God has provided. And remember…

Winter doesn’t last forever. Summer’s coming.