GOOD THINKING: SNOWSTORMS AND SEED CATALOGS

The snow was coming down, covering everything like a heavy blanket. Through the storm, I saw the mailman making his appointed rounds. As I opened my mailbox, what should I find? Several seed catalogs! What are seed catalogs doing in my mailbox in the middle of winter? This has to be a sign from God, I thought. A sign of hope in the midst of the winter blahs.

Signs from God are all around us: Rainbows after storms. Crosses atop steeples or worn on necklaces. Smiley faces everywhere. Snowflakes falling peacefully. An unexpected "helping hand" or a word of encouragement. Seed catalogs in mailboxes. Croci pushing up through the icy ground. A star shining in the blackest night. We rarely recognize these as signs from God. We seldom see them as signs of hope. The signs, however, are all around us as we travel through this life.

Signs from God change our view: As I paged through that seed catalog, I dreamed of what could be. Last year's garden was a disaster; this year's surely would be better. I began to make plans for the future. I had fresh hope of better things to come.

God's sign had altered my view; I began to see new possibilities for that old garden. I was looking at life through the lens of heavenly hope.

Signs from God appear unexpectedly: The winter blahs had gotten to me. I felt discouraged and down. The dark side of life had frozen my optimism and hopefulness. That's when I saw that sign of hope from God. A seed catalog in a mailbox on a snowy day! And I remembered how God surprised us all with a sign of new life and heavenly hope born in a manger in Bethlehem.

Remember: When it's snowing up a storm, when hope is frozen solid, and when life gets messy, look out and look around. In the midst of winter, God sends us signs of hope for tomorrow.