Winter Wonderland

One of the many things I have enjoyed while living in Maryland is walking around Lake Kittamuqundi witnessing nature glorify God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything in them. This morning I put on THREE layers of clothes, donned wool sox and snow boots, grabbed my camera and braved the 27 degree temperature (real-feel of 15 degrees!) to walk in the beautiful winter wonderland before me.

I have walked this path many times before but today I was mindful of the icy patches beginning to form- and thankful for the traction on my snow boots!

As I walked along the trail by the lake the snow-blower and traffic noises faded. I could hear the crunching sound of the snow under my boots, the sweet song of the birds in the trees and the whooshing of the gentle wind. The snow was pure white and very delicate-looking and seemed to be inviting me to continue on along the way. It reminded me of a passage I had just read in Isaiah describing the "Way of Holiness" that the redeemed will walk on as they enter Zion with singing (Isaiah 35:8-10).

A baby icicle... about an inch long!

This tiny, fragile icicle caught my eye as I looked out over the pier. It started out as just a single drop of water that froze to the railing. And then another drop. And another. And finally an icicle was born. It amazes me that something so delicate, so fragile can exist in the harshness of winter.

Which way to go?

I've been told that the lake does freeze over- sometimes deep enough for ice-skating. Today the ice is covered with a blanket of snow making it difficult to tell where the solid ground ends and the lake begins. Just beyond the fence railing is the pier and beyond that, the lake where I noticed some "foot" prints. I wasn't able to get close enough to determine what made them (perhaps a cat?) but I was intrigued by the pattern. The path on the left starts out going straight across but then meanders over to the right, perhaps to check out that "bump" in the snow, before returning to its original line and the other side. This reminded me of times I've been distracted in my walk with the Lord. The path on the right starts out straight across, then abruptly turns back and returns, never getting to the other side. This one reminded me of people who think about walking with the Lord but then decide not to and end up right where they started.

pristine beauty... quiet serenity... thoughtful reflection

I continued my trek past the pier, past the amphitheater to the courtyard of restaurants. Usually passing quite a few walkers on the trail, I was surprised that this morning I saw no one. The pristine beauty, the quiet serenity and the thoughtful reflection were gifts to me from the Creator.