Rubber Boots and All

Every time we go outside these days my 4 year old daughter exclaims; "I smell spring Mommy!"  And she is right.  The sights, sounds and smells of nature all around us indicate that spring has sprung which means that Easter is fast approaching.
As joyful as this season makes me feel, there is a side to it that I don't delight in.  Along with the blooms, buds, and birds there is a lot of mud being tracked into my house by little boots and shoes.  An awful lot. 
Cleaning up the latest mess this morning I was tempted to grumble.  However I am trying not to get hung up on the little things in life so instead I determined to focus on the absolute beauty of the day.
In doing so, I was struck by the contrast before me; the dirtiness of my floors in comparison to the absolute sparkling beauty of the morning outside.
Which got me thinking about Easter and just what a season of tremendous contrasts it really is;

• life and death
• darkness and light
• sacrifice and blessing
• extreme suffering and miraculous grace.

I have celebrated Easter for almost 4 decades, almost at the risk of complacency. 

But after this morning, my perspective on this most Holy season has been renewed.

Thank you Jesus for using the every day things in my life to teach me and draw me closer to you; sunshine and dirt, muddy rubber boots and all.