What Do You See?

          "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."  Henry David Thoreau

As I sit down to write this blog post and look out my window I see snow.  Beautiful, big white fluffy snowflakes falling quietly and gentley to the ground. The world is pristine, peaceful and white, like a blank canvas inviting me to paint it. I see the dawn of a new day and realize all the wonderful possibilities this day holds.  I am alive to see this day, to continue on this journey.  I am thankful.

Now this doesn't mean that my life or any life is perfect.  Nor that everything always goes my way. I am no different from you, we all experience tough times. In fact, often what I look at lately brings me great pain. Someone I love so very dearly is going through an intense struggle. Life can be hard and tough. Things can arise out of the course of a day, a life, that can seek to knock the wind out of you...and very nearly does. You look in the face of these struggles and recognize that that which you were once so certain of and knew to be true is breaking apart bit by bit right in front of your very eyes.  I look at fear, anxiety, chaos and a future that apears to be uncertain.

But, what do I see?  I see the amazing resiliency of the human heart.  I see the strong power of love.  I see an opportunity to grow. I see God's amazing promises for me and those I love.  I continue to see the possibilities of good things ahead and not just uncertainty.

I love what I see in the picture above.  Ezra inviting me to join him, to follow him on this fantastic journey. I see an opportunity to take a break from my struggles, to enjoy the intense and wonderful beauty all around me. I continue to choose to see so much possibility ahead, so many good things just up the trail.

I see and am thankful for the canine companions who yet again invite me to join them in this wonderful dance we call life.

What do you see?