Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Well, today is the first day of December and for the first time on record our area has finished November with no snow. I have to admit that I have been fine with it. I have not really been looking forward to the cold, dark winter very much this year and the thought of shoveling snow has not been too appealing. On the other hand, my son has been waiting for snow. It has been an almost singular focus for him and despite the craziness of the season as Christmas approaches he has remained focused on the snow. This morning there was a slight dusting on the ground and he was cheering it on as if a fan cheering and encouraging his favourite team at a sporting event. All my son really wants to do this year is go sledding. Last year at this time he had just come home from the hospital after two surgeries to remove a brain tumour. Even though he kept insisting he was fine and felt strong enough to go sledding, there was no way that his mother was going to let him fly down a hill on a sled with a skull that had not yet fused, titanium plates or no titanium plates (it was a wise decision I think). So now he has been waiting all year to be able to hit the hills and he is really excited.
It has reminded me about two important lessons for this year. The first is about contentment. I know that if I am dreading the snow, that when it comes is a great chance that I will be miserable...a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Aside from moving, there is little I can do about the weather, so instead of fretting and complaining I should be looking for the positives and looking to be content in all situations (Philippians 4:11). I actually love sledding too, and show shoeing and a number of other snow related activities. I just have to remember to take time to consider the positives and not let the negatives spiral out of control in my mind. And when I focus on the positives I may come to a place where I am more than just content or bearing the circumstances I might actually be able to thrive!
Secondly, as Christmas approaches and the advertisements ramp up telling me all the things that I need to be happy and to make life worth living, it has been a refreshing reminder to celebrate simplicity and to be appreciative of all that I do have. I want to celebrate the change of season for the remarkable wonder that it is and not take it for granted or even resent it. I want to see the gifts that God has placed all around me. I will also be celebrating my family who are all around me, healthy and happy. We will be sledding together and I will be appreciating all that I have been given. There are few gifts that I could ever get that will compare with these things.
So, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...I am ready to hit the hills.