Meet Snowy the miniature snowgirl. She was lovingly crafted from one inch of snow and an hour of fun. Of course, I didn't see her coming because I awoke with different expectations of the day. I'm not sure why I get excited for snow days; it's not like I ever leave my house, but I have a tendency to rank snow days right up there with Christmas. It may stem from the fact that snow days are some of my favorite childhood memories. We lived on a hill in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and snow days meant hours of sledding. You know those old fashioned sleds with the wooden slats and metal runners? Ah, I just dated myself but I don't care because those were the best! When I close my eyes, I can still feel that ice-cold wind and those bottom-hurting bumps all the way down Oaks Manor Drive. My mom would take the 45 minutes it took to dress us appropriately and my dad would always spend a large portion of the day sledding down the hill and dragging the sled back up, over and over. Mom would watch from the front window and have hot chocolate ready when the frozen little bodies finally called it a day. So the open schools, wet streets, dripping roofs and inch of snow today didn't exactly support my rather crazed enthusiasm for snow day memories. I was a bit of a grouch as I told the kids they could go play for a bit before school but it probably wouldn't be much fun. Of course, I've learned a lot of lessons at the dish-washing sink this year, and today was no exception. As I washed the breakfast dishes, I glanced out the window much like Eeyore looking for his tail. What I saw was my two youngest children rolling around in bits of snow, tossing snowballs at each other, playing tag and yelling in delight as they pelted dad's car pulling away from the house with chunks of slushy ice. They went on a grand adventure in the creation of Snowy; hard to believe three little blobs of ice could have such a full life! Those two little ones looked at the gift of God's creation and took delight, while their mother wasted the day by wishing for more. It wasn't enough that while I slept, God froze tiny drops of moisture into unique miniscule patterns and covered my portion of the earth. He gave me breath to exhale under a pile of warm blankets and warm pumpkin muffins with steaming hot coffee to open my day. A quiet morning to not rush around and excited kids ready to embrace another day the Lord had made. Mumbles of complaint were my response. While I was preparing a semi-permanent home for Snowy in the depths of my freezer, I asked the Lord for forgiveness and rested in His mercy. Sometimes on the journey towards gratitude I feel like one of my children during those early years of discipline; when I would put my hands on each of their little cheeks and say "Look me in the eyes" while they did things with their eyeballs I wouldn't have imagined possible nearly looking at the inside of their little disobedient brains trying to avoid contact with the corrector. Some days are like that with me and my gentle Corrector- "Look me in the eyes my child and sing praise, no matter what sing my amazing praise." Thank you Lord for three chunks of dirty snow making residence in my freezer that remind me to give thanks for all the days you've poured upon my life.
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