I am going be honest and admit that when I woke up this morning – which happens to be the second day of spring – and discovered that five inches of snow had fallen overnight, my first reaction was not happiness.
I was slightly irritated.
This has been a long winter.
Lately, spring has seemed so close, tantalizing us with lots of sunshine, warm temperatures and gentle breezes … only to disappear entirely this morning, leaving us with another day of gray skies, snow and cold.
As I turned from the window to start my day, this verse immediately came to mind: “I have set before you today life …” (Deuteronomy 30:15).
Life is a precious gift to be treasured.
This is the day that the Lord has made and I am commanded to rejoice in it. —Psalms 118:24
Was I really going to complain about the weather???
A few minutes later, I read what my friend Margaret had posted on Facebook. While most of the status reports were filled with complaints about the snow, her status was a like a breath of fresh air: “I’m enjoying possibly our last glimpse of winter wonderland before spring fully arrives. Beautiful white flakes coating the trees. What a gift!”
Rather than enduring a gray day, she was enjoying it.
Instead of just seeing snow, she observed a winter wonderland.
She was fully embracing reality … rather than wishing for what might have been.
I decided to follow her example and spend the day looking for all the simple joys I could find.
Among other things, I reveled in the following:
– Snow coating the trees all along the roads, creating a canopy of dazzling white
– Having a bowl of Lucky Charms for breakfast that made me feel like a kid again
– Laughing with friends at lunch
– The sun breaking through the clouds, chasing away the gray
– Patches of bright blue sky that hint of summer
– The sound of melting snow, reminding me that spring really is here and winter’s tight grip is loosening
– The sprinkle of freckles across my son’s face
– Embracing my husband in the middle of the kitchen and asking him to dance with me
– The clear, sweet sound of my daughter playing her flute
– The delightful taste of a chocolate chip cookie
– Reading such a beautifully written blog post that it moved me to tears
– Having a long talk on the phone with my mom
– Finishing a chapter of a good book
– Singing praises to my beautiful God while listening to Third Day’s new album
– Being grateful that I have eyes that see, ears that hear and limbs that work
– Getting an upbeat email from a dear friend who wrote to tell me that she loves me and is praying for me
My day was transformed by searching for the simple joys.
There are treasures everywhere.
Look for and celebrate the simple joys in your life this day … I would love to hear about them. 