Snow Day

We had a snow day today in east Tennessee. It always makes me smile, because as a child of the north, honey, this just doesn't cut it. But, none-the-less, kids were home early, celebrating their newfound freedom.  Mine are a little big to make a real big deal of it, but when I couldn't find Lexi in the house (she was just playing with that **soccer ball-where'd she go?!), this is where I found her:

Satisfied that she was not only found, but happy, too, I turned back toward the house and saw this:

Pretty beautiful, hmm? And ya know, you just wouldn't think that a cold, snowy day would yield such a beautiful sky at sunset. But the turmoil in the sky and the leaf-less trees gave the scene depth, texture.

And notice how placid the water is, free of ripples and currents. The contrasts are striking and beautiful. Makes you wonder if that's not why we have turmoil and ripples and currents in our lives. Without it, it is hard to measure calmness and peace and beauty.  With it, (as we learn to live with it, or overcome whatever it is that is causing it), we weave a richer, more textured fabric of life, one with strength and depth and meaning.