Winter Bliss

I have no reason to complain about Winter.  I do not have to drive in the treacherous roads if I don't want to. I do not have to leave my warm bed until I have decided it is the right time.  I do not have to fidget about whether or not the school will announce a snow day (we simply just don't take snow days lol).  My house is warm, my car is toasty in case I need to venture out,  my fridge is stocked as if the end of the world is nigh. And I live in a country where, so far, I am free to roam about without the fear of being beheaded.

Yet I still manage to complain. Winter was the perfect escape goat. The prolonged sub-zero temperatures finally got to me.  Even as I attempt to get out of the house each day it just wasn't enough.  Winter is NOT love in February.  But the funny thing about this angst - it had nothing to do with the weather but everything to do with lack of gratitude.  As I allowed myself to groan and moan about each frigid day, the burden of Winter magnified to epic proportions in my mind. But the Lord is kind and merciful. My Lenten devotional reminded me that taking personal time to rest, exercise, and pray (gratitude versus a litany of woes) is a good way to combat these dark days. I could write a dissertation on those three topics of rest, exercise and prayer.  Why do I exercise, why do I rest I (or not rest), why do I pray? Why do I complain about the silliest things?

So I started with working on prayer - the honest-to-goodness, Lord-you-are-going-to-hear-everything- you-already-know-but-do-not-want-to-hear-from-me kind of prayer.  Then I moved on from the angst to the gratitude.  What little gratitude I can muster managed to open an ocean of joy at the recognition of God's incomprehensible, immeasurable grace.  Winter was really NOT what was getting me down!

To celebrate this epiphany of sorts I decided to declare a snow day.  We packed our sleds and skates to take advantage of the best of Ohio winter.  It's play time for my kids but it's a time of renewal for me.  I needed the fresh air to soothe my foggy brain and I needed the beauty of nature to remind me that I am nothing ( I mean that in a good way!)  It's good to be nothing because then the burden of being everything become God's alone.  And when He is everything then life is good.

Pictures to share as I am in danger of rambling! -

I love this kiddie hill because my four-year-old can manage it by himself

we had the place all to ourselves

"train sledding"

I got to join in on the fun

then we walked to the ice skating pond

the girl sharing the ice with a friend

she claims to dislike Winter but she loves ice skating

the park ranger started a fire for us

happy to be here

he's happy to be here too

"mom look at my snowball!"

the youngest three

The next time you hear me complain about Winter feel free to hit me with a snowball.

Happy Winter!