How Do You Stay Warm?

We recently had just enough snow for the children to play in. As I supervised my son playing with our neighbors, I sipped a warm cup of coffee and thought the following, “There are two ways to stay warm: drinking coffee or playing in the snow. One consumes warmth, the other creates it.” There is an analogy for life here. 

There are lots of ways that we can “warm ourselves” and find satisfaction. We can consume our way into feeling better. We can also act our way into feeling better. Neither is bad in itself, and both are called for at different times—although it did occur to me that perhaps in that moment in the snow, the kids had chosen the better part. 

This week, I invite you to ask: 

How do I stay warm? That is, what are my sources of meaning and consolation? Is there anything that I would change?  

God bless,
Dan