Snow Days

The snow began late Saturday morning, and for me has lead to a week of frustrated plans. My motorcycle is still in Seattle where I abandoned it after trusting the weather prediction that snow would not start until Saturday afternoon. I have a basic policy that if I have to brush falling snow away just to get on the motorcycle, it’s too snowy to ride.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday my plans changed by the hour as snow appeared, disappeared, and appeared again. By Wednesday, though, the snow had eliminated any vacillating. There was a foot of snow at my place, the church building was closed along with Seattle schools, and it was an official “snow day.”

A pastor’s life consists of a fascinating mixture of extrovert and introvert energy. I study the Bible, then lead bunch of folks in Bible study. I research, read and write, then spend a couple of hours with a lot of people, talking, singing, and sharing. I sit quietly with someone who is sick or hurting, then go to a fellowship dinner where we are all joking and laughing. The schedule is always full, and I always feel very busy. In the midst of so much to do, it is often difficult to make time for quiet reflection.

But a snow day changes all that. For me, a snow day becomes a slow day, and offers an incredible gift of time.

So on Wednesday I had time to enjoy my morning chores. People often ask me how the sheep like the snow. From all I can tell, they do just fine in their wooly coats. On Wednesday they came out of the barn with no hesitation, and plowed through deep drifts to get to their hay. The dogs also seem energized by the snow. The younger dog Mac was running around like he always does, but somehow he seemed even more crazy. He buried his head in the snow and then burst through it, with an expression on his face that I took for a grin. And as they ran through the snow, the older dogs Lizzie and Buddy seemed more puppy-like than they have in quite a while. Only the chickens seemed slightly subdued by the wet, cold whiteness that had invaded their yard.

And on Wednesday I had time to sit with my coffee and look out my window and soak in the beauty of the farm. The snow lent both a sparkle and a quiet to my surroundings that invited me to relax more deeply into the moment. On Wednesday I had time to read and time to write, with time left over to go sledding with my friend Lori and her girls, who laughed to see a 60 year old enthusiastically speeding downhill on their little plastic sled. And after that I still had time for phone calls and emails, and more reading.

I had time for regular check-ins on FaceBook, where I discovered that mane folks in my congregation were also enjoying this sudden gift of time. Building snow forts, walking through the neighborhood, sledding down slippery hills, playing board games, drinking hot chocolate together.

Today is day three of this snow-induced time out. As the days have accumulated, I find myself feeling quite refreshed. In some way I feel like I have been on a farm-focused retreat. Surrounded by sheep and dogs and time, for me these snow days have been like a sabbatical booster shot.

I know that these days have not been quite so relaxing for everyone. Snow and ice, disruption, power outages, and isolation can bring significant difficulties. And I will be glad to get back to my Seattle flock and extrovert activities too. But for me these few days have been filled with the quiet reflection that fuels a pastor’s life, and for which I often make so little time. I am grateful.

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