On Saturday, Captain and I went to Whitewater State Park to try out our new snowshoes. Captain got his from Molly at Christmas, and I got mine from Captain for my birthday. They are matching...isn't that precious?
As we tromped along places we've tromped many times before, I got a little disoriented because all of the familiar landmarks weren't what I was used to.
Still, it was a beautiful day--warm and sunny after horrific winds the night before. I had to stop every so often to (1) rest muscles that I wasn't used to using because snowshoeing is completely different than plain old plodding along and (2) actually look around at the scenery instead of at my feet. Apparently I can't walk and look at the same time.
As I followed Captain along the trails and marveled at how different it all was, I realized I could apply the same theory to life in general. Sometimes a different perspective makes a familiar situation a little brighter, a little more appealing, or a little more whatever it is you need it to be more of.
Speaking from personal experience, that different perspective is often just going from my perception of how things should be to trusting God to take care of things in his own way and time.
After months of prayer--which could accurately be described as screaming, crying, wailing, and gnashing of teeth--asking God to change my situation and not seeing any results from that, I had an epiphany standing in the snow that maybe what I needed to pray for was a change in myself instead of the situation.
This isn't actually a new epiphany; I've been down this road before. I must be stubborn or stupid or both because it's a lesson I have to keep relearning. You'd think if I passed the test once, I wouldn't fail it the next time it came along. But, no; history keeps repeating itself.
Luckily for me, the Teacher is patient and loves me unconditionally while I learn and relearn.
I'm thankful that God used an outing with Captain amid nature's beauty and serenity to help me study for the test.
