A Worm, a Wind, and Ice

Jonah 4: 6-11 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

C'mon, Jonah? Really? Upset about a damaged plant? Throwing a fit about a worm? Angry about the wind and the sun? You want to die? Aren't we being a little dramatic? 

Yes. 

And so have I. No grow-in-a-day plants, strange worms, or vehement east winds here, but there is one thing. 

Ice. 

I've lived in cold climates my entire life. I'm a midwesterner. I know what lake effect snow is. I've lived in the east where the term nor'easter sends everyone to the store and the shelves are empty of bread, water, and milk. I've lived in a place with more cloudy than sunny winter days and storms that dump up to two feet of snow in a day. 

Now we live in the lowlands where it's only supposed to snow a few times each winter and it melts the next day. 

Or not. 

This year we've gotten more snow than normal here and it's not melting - at least not completely. As I've thought and said, "We brought the snow from PA, but we forgot the salt and snow plows." 

Sometimes I think they're convinced if they don't deal with it it will magically go away, or better yet, that it's really not even here if you don't acknowledge it. Even though we've been told there are laws about clearing one's sidewalk in this biking and walking European community, the roads and sidewalks are sometimes hardly navigable, let alone safe. 

We got a lot of snow a couple weeks ago. Then it warmed up just enough to start melting it, but not completely. There was slush and water everywhere. Then it got cold again and guess what happened to that slush and water? 

Ice.

We got another dusting of snow on top of it and because walking is so common here it all got compacted together, coating the sidewalks with a couple inches of danger. 

I decided to brave it and go to the mom's club - assuming many people would have cleared the slush like I did before the temps dropped again. (Because of course I'm so perfect. Ha!) D and I were managing pretty well until I hit a patch of smooth ice under some snow and my right foot went out from under me. I quickly caught hold of a red, metal gate to my left. I held on for dear life and managed to prevent a fall. I pulled a muscle in my inner thigh and my left knee was sore from twisting. I was relieved to be offered a ride home after club was over. 

As the days wore on and I was forced to navigate the ice taking the boys to school, I found myself getting more and more annoyed. 

Where is the salt? Why isn't the school area cleared? Don't they care about the safety of the children? What if we fall and break something? Do they think those small hand fulls of whatever that is (gravel maybe) is going to do anything? Where are the snow plows? Why are the roads still snowy and ice covered after a week? Why don't they enforce the sidewalk cleaning law? Don't they realize how annoying it is for J to be late to class or late to come home because the buses, trams, and trains are all off-schedule? How can they possibly think they can win a bid to host the Olympics in 2022? 

Yes, I actually thought all those things. And a few more. 

By Saturday I was fully miffed after walking on the street (now finally clear of snow thanks to the sun) and having to cross the road to walk on sides that were more clear or walk next to the sidewalk to walk in snow. D almost fell four or five times. The older two seemed immune to the risks of ice as they quickly walked across it as if their bones couldn't possibly snap in two as easily as mom thinks they could.

After making it home I took a piece of gardening equipment out to chip away at the ice around our drain pipe so, "No one will have to walk on ice in front of OUR house!" I saw two little old ladies forced to walk on the street because they couldn't use the sidewalks. 

I was angry. 

At ice.

I'm obviously not much different than Job, am I? 

It's funny how we can think we are so above the characters in the Bible and yet, at times we realize we are exactly like them. That's obviously why God included those tidbits about them, so we'd be able to see how sinful and human we are too. If we didn't have God's Word and the Holy Spirit I'm sure we'd go about our days thinking every thing was peachy keen and that we were of course better than everyone else. 

God's Word is like a mirror. Through it we can see who we truly are - as sinners before a righteous God. I need to be reminded of who I truly am. One whose righteousness, in and of myself, is like filthy rags. In our society it's easy to think we are good people if we obey cultural norms, don't get in trouble, don't leech on the social system, and generally keep to ourselves. And yet that's not enough in God's eyes. As a matter of fact, nothing "good" is enough because it's only through Him that we can become righteous. Although it's not very pleasant, I need my sin to be revealed to me. It seems the more I read, the more my sin becomes evident to me - such as being angry at ice. 

God's Word is like a compass. It points me in the right direction. As I've entered 2013 I've been seeking to make Bible reading more of a priority in my life. And not only that, but also journaling. In a journal that a college friend sent me for Christmas, I've been writing down the verses that stand out to me. Some of them are for me to look back on later when I need encouragement. Others apply to things that myself or others are going through right now. Some will help me as I strive to raise my boys. And as I see the direction God wants me to walk, I'm more aware of when I'm stepping out of that path. Such as letting my anger about ice cause me to become critical of the people we are here to minister to. I can't be critical and show love at the same time. I can't be frustrated and share about God's forgiveness and salvation. 

Just like Job and the Ninevites. 

Just like Job's vehement eastern wind.