The Darkness before the Morning

For a myriad of reasons it's been kind of a difficult week so I'm glad today is a "down" day with not a lot of plans.  Things popped up that weren't serious but just threw bumps in my life's path.

• a flat tire discovered the night before a trip.
• no phone service for three days (normally that wouldn't be a problem but it's the one I use for work).
• a 2 1/2 hour trip in dense fog.
• a mind that kept wandering instead of focusing on the tasks at hand.

But there were also glimpses of God's glory and redemption too.  Hope remains in the brokenness of this world. 

• a robin singing in a tree. 
• warmer temps that melted away the snow. 
• a dog that's excited to go on a walk with me.
• roses in a vase on my desk.
• big band music. 
• family that installed a light fixture in my bathroom.
• a full moon shining through the dark clouds of night.
• a fuchsia sunset set against a pale lavender/blue/gray landscape

These are the sights, sounds and memories I want to store up, to take out in my old age and relive through the telling.  Not the bumps in the road, the worries, the stresses...though those have a place and a purpose too.  They show me how dependent I am on my Heavenly Father. They also remind me to look forward to the day when all things will be made new.