The Stillness and Peace of Snow

When it snows in the south, everything literally shuts down.  We just aren't prepared to handle this kind of weather.  While it can be annoying to some people to get stuck at home for a few days, I found an amazing comfort in the stillness and peace of it all.  Getting snowed in really forced us to take some time out from the hustle and bustle of our busy every day lives.  While chores around the house were done, the normal weekend errands and running around just couldn't happen.  So what did we do?  We all took time out to play in the snow a few times each day, to sit around the fire sipping hot chocolate, to spend some time talking, reading, and even watching a movie! 

It really made me take a step back and think on how to de-clutter my life.  What would our lives be like if we had a snow day once a week?  Ok, so maybe not a snow day, but a day that we really focus on being with our family and friends and a day to restore our souls.  How would my kids lives be different if every Sunday we really used it as a true day of rest, and spent the day going to church, and just being together with each other?  How much more refreshed would David and I be for the following week if we had that one day where we didn't clean, wash clothes, run errands, etc?  What will my kids think when they ask me to play and I can truly play with them without having to say "wait, let mommy do this first."  What will David and I gain if we don't spend all the nap times on the weekends doing tasks around the house, but instead spend nap time on Sunday just being together with just the two of us?  Well, for the month of February, we're going to see how much our lives will change if we use each Sunday as a day of restoration. I know this task won't be easy as it will mean doing a little more every day during the week but I'm really thinking it will pay off in all of our lives.

Thank you God for the snow and the stillness and peace it brought to our home.  While it seems like such an insignificant event in many ways, it was a significant call for our overly crowded and busy lives.  The snow made us focus on what matters most - each other and spending time playing together.  What could be more important than playing with your family and friends?  Could we ever get enough of that?