Tip of My Iceberg

This isn’t Florida. It isn’t home.

We recently were in Indiana for the memorial of a dear friend, and the morning we were to leave, we found snow had joyfully covered the ground during the night. Without asking if it was convenient for those who don’t drive in snow and ice. Without considering if said southerners had the sufficient amount of clothing to keep them warm.

To top it off, the wind blew with passion. Whatever clothing we had wasn’t enough for the damp wind and cold that greedily grabbed at our bones as if we were nature’s breakfast. Gratefully, our rental car had included an ice scraper. When we picked up the car, I threw it in the back, thinking what a ridiculous accoutrement it was.

I rethought that sentiment.

We crawled along at a slow pace. Neither my husband nor I had driven in snow and ice in decades. If he edged too far to the right or left, it was an experience in slip-sliding away. Trucks and jeeps whipped around us as if mocking our slow progress. I’m more of a speeder than John, but I had few words for his cautious driving. (OK, I did have some words. I can’t stop being me.)

It took us about twice as long to get to the airport, and after dropping the car at the car rental return, I feared I’d become a human icicle before we made it indoors.

I wasn’t made for this weather. I do hot and humid beautifully.

All people will encounter circumstances that aren’t what they were ready for, things they hadn’t prepared for. We don’t have control over our lives that protects us from the harsh and heavy, the dangerous and depressing, Life comes to us one day at a time, each day an opportunity to live out loud who we are with whatever creativity, energy, and hope we have in the moment.

Who can ever guarantee that?

The reality of life is that we will never be fully satisfied with who and where we are. This is not because we are not enough or are less than others’ expectations. It has everything to do with what we’ve been created for.

The Garden.

When God created the earth and all that is in it, He crafted a beautiful place where He created the first man and woman. The Garden of Eden was so beautiful and satisfying that there was no fear, shame, or pain. God provided all this for us out of a deep and abiding love for His creation.

We are the epitome of His creation.

This was a love story where Adam and Eve walked and spoke with God continually, experiencing comfort and ease in His presence. Once the man and woman decided to disobey the One they loved, they were forced to leave the Garden, the place that was their comfort and home. The relationship that had been so tender became strained.

This love story happened amid a war. The enemy of our souls, Satan, seeks to steal, kill, and destroy all the wonder and beauty God has created, trying to draw us away from God’s love and protection.

We were made for Eden. We will find our best lives lived with Him, not apart from Him.

Just like I didn’t feel at home in the cold and snow of Indiana, I don’t feel completely at home here. There will always be a yearning for someplace better, not in possessions, but in the comfort of being loved and cared for by God, without restrictions.

Heaven will be a return to the Garden.

It’s our choice to be there.

What will you choose?