It's still cold here. But when you're inside the house, all warm and cozy, looking out the window at the spring sunshine, you can almost imagine that it's nice out there. But, alas, all we have right now are our imaginations. The kids are itching to go out and play. The want to ride their bikes, feel the cool grass between their tiny toes, peek under rocks and dig in the dirt for rolie polies, and run until their little legs can't go anymore. Since this spring dream won't become a reality for us for a few more weeks, the little ones have resolved themselves to enjoying the illusion of warmer weather from their front row seats on the doormat just inside the front door. Our storm door is glass all the way down and, aside from the fingerprints all over it, cheeto residue along the edges, and snotty nose marks right at 2-year-old height, it's an almost ideal spot to get a perfect view of the sunset.

Ethan seems to have a special appreciation for the colorful strokes of a beautiful sunset. One day he was passing by the door on his way to the toy box when the bright oranges, reds, and purples stretching across the horizon captured his attention. He stopped abruptly and stood there, awestruck.

"Mommy!" he cried out excitedly, "Come look!"
I joined him at the door, equally as captivated by the splendor of the evening sky.
"Mommy, isn't it so beautiful?" Ethan whispered.
"It really is, son. Very, very beautiful."
He turned to me, eyes wide with wonder, joy, and appreciation and asked, "Do you want to pray?"
I smiled, surprised and charmed by the question.
He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and folded his hands. The tenderness in his heart came through in his voice as he talked to God as only a child can...with the perfect combination of humility and familiarity.
"Thank you God for the beautiful colors in the sky. You are a really good painter. Amen."
"Amen, " I agreed.

We sat there together on the cold wood floor, peering through the smudged glass, each lost in our own thoughts, until he (in typical little boy fashion) became restless and wandered off in search something to busy himself.

I remained, thinking.....pondering......realizing.......
How often do we stop to appreciate the wonders around us? More importantly, how often do we forget to take just a moment to thank God for them? My Granni used to love to recount a story about me as a small child. I was about 2 years old, riding in the backseat of the car, when I suddenly became aware of the array of colors bursting across the sky from the evening sun. My reaction was one of overwhelming awe and all I could pull from my toddler vocabulary to describe it was "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!" I was captivated, just as Ethan had been, by the splendor of God's creation. Inevitably, over time, we all lose the child-likeness that allows us to see the world that way. We end up missing out on the joy that we could experience by simply being thankful for everyday blessings and small wonders.

Make a special effort today to look for the things you usually forget to appreciate in your hurry. Your child's smile,the kindness of a stranger, a safe drive to work, holding the hand of someone you love, rolie polies, riding bikes, your toes in the cool grass.....beautiful sunsets drawing a perfect closing to a day filled with unrecognized blessings. And when you are able to really see everything that has, until now, been hidden by complacency and routine, stop. And, with the humility and familiarity of a child, thank God for them.