When I was a kid and lived in Trout Lake, we used to get lots of snow—often over five feet. One of our winter chores was to keep the area in front of the milk house clear of snow so the milk truck could get in to pick up our milk. We also had lots of fun wintertime activities. One was to crawl around in the tunnels the pigs made as they went around the pasture, looking for something to eat. They got out of their pens because of the snow. The tunnels were perfectly round as a pig and just the right size to fit in if we were on our knees. Another activity was when Dad would pull us around the pasture on the hood of an old car that was upside down with the old Willys jeep. And then there were the good, old-fashioned snowball fights. We would make snow forts and barriers to hide behind as we attempted to hit someone else with a well-aimed snowball. Our grandkids were having fun today in the snow, building snowmen, and having snowball fights. The bigger grandkids went to the church parking lot and spun around in the snow, making “cookies” in their cars. I canceled my classes for tonight and stayed home, sat in my recliner, and read. It was a very comfortable day as I regularly got up, put more wood in the fire, and got a refill of coffee. Today’s big fun was celebrating our oldest daughter, Sarah’s 50th birthday. Quite a few people came over today to celebrate despite the snow, and we ate a lot, talked, and played games. I have difficulty believing I am old enough to have a 50-year-old daughter! Life keeps moving on. It was a perfect day. Tomorrow probably will be another slow day because of the weather. But coming are some bad days, filled with heartache and trials. That is the way life is. When they come, we ask God for strength, supernatural joy, and peace, and that He will guide and use us for His glory. Then, when they are over, we rejoice and enjoy. That is the way life is.
I look forward to it all, the slow days and the hard days. God is in one as much as the other. One is for resting, and the other is for growing. The key to enjoying the hard days is not to fret or worry and not to grumble or complain.