Bless the Lord, Frosts and Snows

 

Bless the Lord, winter cold and summer heat;
    sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
45 Bless the Lord, dews and falling snow;
    sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
46 Bless the Lord, nights and days;
    sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
47 Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
    sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
48 Bless the Lord, ice and cold;
    sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
49 Bless the Lord, frosts and snows;
    sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
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from the Song of Azariah -- addition to the Book of Daniel 

Before Christmas we visited the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinberg Ontario, a gem of an art gallery that never disappoints. We went primarily for a current exhibition called River of Dreams: Impression on the St. Lawrence. As the title states, this features the work of artists who could be described as Impressionist painters and who worked along the length of one of the great rivers of Canada. 

                                                                                 Robert Pilot 

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We loved this exhibition and at one point I commented to Ruth about the number of glorious paintings that featured ice and snow, remarkable depictions of winter. Quebec tends to remain more wintry than most of southern Ontario but climate change is altering the season there as well. The Quebec Winter Carnival begins this weekend although in recent years organizers have contended with melting ice castles and outdoor rinks unfit for skating. 

                                                                  Paintings by Clarence Gagnon

This morning I was out shovelling an overnight accumulation of snow that was actually more than we anticipated. After I huffed and puffed my way through the task I took a look in our backyard at the trees and shrubs festooned with what was just the right consistency of snow to create an old-timey Winter Wonderland. This was perfect for our Listening and Looking with Jesus in February project at Trenton United and will be included in today's calendar square. 

I appreciate that ice and snow can be a life-changing threat for the elderly. Despite getting up there in years myself I am still grateful to the Creator for the sheer wonder of snow and I hope I always will be.Ruth skated on a rink created on the Bay of Quinte on Sunday following worship and for her it was another form of praise.  I will likely get out for a walk at some point today that doesn't require pushing a shovel.

Stay safe, upright, and warm!

                                                 Our backyard this morning -- photos Ruth Mundy