First Snow

 Yesterday's gloomy, drippy weather was transformed into snow overnight and the ground is now covered in lacy white flakes. I step outside and the world is frozen, beautiful and still. I'm sure we'll soon be tired of the snow, but the first flakes of the season have always been exciting to me, as I tap into that childlike wonder and fascination with the crystalline substance.

It makes me think of the bible story about Manna from heaven, which miraculously appeared when the Israelites were hungry, tired and desperate. After Moses had brought them out of Egypt (from slavery to freedom), they complained about being in the desert with no food, saying they would rather have died in Egypt than be in this horrible place. 

Have you ever been that low? I have. In those times of utter desolation, or even during times that are simply challenging, when the way doesn't seem clear and we can't imagine there's any hope, God is there if we turn to him/her with hands open, as Moses did on behalf of the Israelite community. There is manna to meet every need if only we ask and have faith.

The story in Exodus tells us that the manna was showered down from heaven. They were small wafers of bread, tasting sweet with a hint of coriander (interesting!) The people were to gather them up in the morning, a portion for each person, but just enough for one day. If they tried to gather too much in order to hoard for the days ahead, the manna spoiled and smelled bad.

That's the lesson right there: the idea of gathering our daily bread each morning, just what we need for each day and not worrying about tomorrow. As difficult a concept as it is for us to grasp, the truth is, the future doesn't exist. There is only the eternal now, each moment flowing into the next. Tomorrow is the domain of worry and anxiety; imagined possibilities that may never come to pass. I believe it's okay to dream, because we have been created as beings with imaginations and thought does tend to manifest reality.

 The message this morning is a simple one: Be thankful for the abundance that is yours; for the manna that is showered down each day. Every morning, we are given just what we need -spiritually, physically and emotionally. If we approach life with hands open, in receiving mode, with thanksgiving, we need never worry.

So why not just be thankful, with open arms, and imagine something good coming to you today, like manna from heaven.