Snow days are like God

Michael Himes suggests that “the first and most important thing to know in theology is that whatever you think when you hear the word ‘God’ is not God” (pg. 9, Doing the Truth in Love). When we talk about God, we will always and necessarily be limited, no matter how grand our description, because God is absolute mystery. If you want to discover what the Christian tradition maintains is the least inadequate description of God, Himes’ first chapter in this book is excellent. (I won’t even give you a hint because then you will think you KNOW the least inadequate description and won’t explore Himes’ excellent book. I will however tell you that you can read enough pages on Amazon to give you a taste of what this least inadequate description of God might be.)

With that strong caveat in mind, I want to share the very inadequate image of how snow days are like God. Snow days are free days. Complete total freedom. You can do nothing “wrong” on a snow day. There is no “wasting time” on a snow day. On snow days, you get to decide with total freedom what you would like to do. Along the way, you can change your mind and what you do instead is every bit as good as what you could have done. Even if you end up “wasting” the day, it does not matter at all because it was a snow day. It was a FREE day. Complete total freedom.

Waking this morning to discover today was a snow day with no work/school, my heart is instantly light, happy, and calm. As I shovel a bit of snow, I think of so many things I might accomplish with my instant free time. Catch up on email. Work on that journal article. Finally start that book in advance of a conference. Clean the house! Maybe even relax and watch some TV for a change. They all sound so wonderful. Before I decide though, I think I will lie back down for a mid-morning nap. I won’t even set the alarm. I’ll just let myself sleep until I wake up.

A Jesuit once shared with a friend on retreat, “God will love you even if you spend every day bathing in the sun.” With God, we don’t HAVE to do anything. We have complete and absolute freedom, unbinding love, total compassion and support. We are free. There is no wrong, no wasted time. Only love, total self-gift. To God, every day is a snow day. Every day is free.

If you don’t set your alarm, you might even take a four hour nap.