What Are The Possibilities?

As I placed the last shovel of snow on the side of the driveway I had to throw it a bit to get it to the top of the growing pile. The pile has now reached about four feet high and is about 40 feet in length. Other folk on our street have created small, conical piles at the right and left of the driveway entrance. These piles stand like a sculpture of some sort. It is February and Canadians in our area are bearing down to make it through the rest of the winter. Within two months most of the snow will be gone again.

As I shoveled the snow the air was clean and crisp with a light wind blowing. The sun shone brightly. I looked closely at the pile of snow near the driveway – then thought something is happening at the base of the pile that no one can even see. The plants are growing. There is life below the cold. Life is going on – even though it is so cold on top.

I walked toward the back yard and scrapped some of the snow off the grass as I cleared the walk way into the yard. Sure enough the grass is as green as can be and doing well. It is ready to go for its appearance in the next few months. But it can’t be uncovered just yet. I pushed a shovel or so of snow back on to the green patch to protect it from the upper elements of cold.

I spent a good hour looking yesterday at the snow and our yard. I imagined the possibilities of next spring and summer. The yard will leap into its glory very soon. The possibilities are limitless.

The thought is so simple…
There are summer times in our lives when all the glory of the growth of spring has come to full radiance. All of the planting and the cultivating has produced a glorious flower garden. But all of that was only possible after the season of winter when it was cold and the ground had been covered with the snow banks.

Every snow bank is a possibility of life beneath it. Every winter season in our lives is a promise of a wonderful time when the world changes and spring is comes.

Yesterday…
Yesterday I stood quietly at the bedside of two dear ladies with their families. I was facing death again as it came to the rooms that I visited. I was on call as a Chaplain serving the hospital this past weekend.

While I was there Eva slipped into the presence of the Lord while her daughter stood crying at the side her bed. Eva was 69 years old. Eva has struggled with cancer for five years making it impossible to really have any quality of life. A good portion of her last five years were spent in Doctor’s Offices and in hospital beds. She slipped peacefully away. As her daughter spoke with me she said quietly, “This has been a long cold time in my life.”

In the next room Natalina was dieing as well. Her younger brother Joe stood with her. She was 84 years old and he loved her so much. This tough older man cried deeply as he shared with me how she had looked after him for 54 years he had lived with her. I do not know all the Italian family dynamics – all I could see was the love that they had for each other.

There was something the same about these two settings. The same in each room was the dynamic and robust youth of each of the lady’s children and grandchildren. As they each shook my hand and thanked me deeply for coming there was vibrancy and life in them. There was a promise of a future for family traditions and family stories. These families were alive and well – even as they faced the cold winter of death.

Death for me is always sobering. Standing beside the beds of people that are slipping away is never easy. But I have come to realize that good things will happen even after their deaths. Something would go on for the family. They would go from these deeply cold winter season to the summer in their lives. The possibilities are deep and wonderful.

One of the granddaughters cried quietly and said, “She won’t see her new great granddaughter.”
My thoughts in response were simple – she will have a granddaughter and great granddaughter that will tell stories about this wonderful lady – many years to come.

Winter will come – but spring and summer are soon to appear.

What are the possibilities? As I watch my grandkids each time I am with them – they are life and a promise of what will be. What are the possibilities? Wow - is my best answer.

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~

Here are some more winter/summer photos for you....