Snowbound Worries

Snow. Photo by Bob Coller.
My friend Bob graciously granted me permission to share this amazing photograph with you.
Itching and Inspiration
Last night when my husband Rich and I prayed at bedtime, he asked God to make it clear to me what He would have me write about this morning. I am here to tell you that the Lord does indeed move in mysterious ways!
I’ve been coping for the past few weeks with an outbreak of hives, a rare occurrence in my life. As I lay in bed last night I could feel spots of heat forming on my skin and I knew the painful itching would soon follow. I prayed silently, asking for relief. After lying in bed for an hour, I arose, came downstairs, took an antihistamine and poured myself a nightcap.
To pass the time while I waited for the itching to subside, I logged on to Facebook. My friend Bob Coller was also online; he and I enjoyed an exchange that included this snippet:
Bobin Michigan we’ve given up on washing our salt/snow/ice covered cares… we just let them rust! (but we keep our Whalers clean!)
Me:  I think “snow covered cares” is the best.typo.ever.
Bob:  ok… that might have been “cars”… what’s an e among friends?
Me: I’m loving the image. Think about it. All your cares, frozen. Stuck. Shivering, even.
Bob: those of us in Michigan are not loving the “shivering” stuff!
Me: I bet!! But picture your cares–your worries–encased in ice, shut out in the cold, shivering….
Bob: Sheila… I sense a blog post… need some photos of snow? 🙂
Bob and I didn’t start our online “conversation” talking about cold and snow and worries. It began with a discussion of the utility of Google applications and some whimsical thoughts about what might come next– Google Laundry, anyone?
I sat at my computer and imagined freezing my hives. I pictured an aerosol can filled with liquid nitrogen. Mentally I turned my can of nitrogen on the pressing deadlines at work. Next I took aim at the financial challenges that always accompany the first months of the new year. The images that resulted nearly made me laugh out loud–these cares, frozen, brittle–I could smash them into bits with a sledgehammer!–incapacitated.
I realized that my prayers had been answered. The itching was muted to a level that would admit sleep into my night, and I knew what to share with you today.
Sometimes God answers our prayers by saying, “well, go downstairs and take an antihistamine!” Sometimes He speaks to us through our friends.

Or their keyboards.

Either way, I’m now picturing a label on my big can of liquid nitrogen. It reads, “Prayer.”
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:6-9 (NASB)