Sunset as Sunrise

Here in DC, we have been gripped by the snow frenzy. We've had three measurable snow storms in one week, the most recent of which has smothered us in two feet or more. This storm was of such magnitude that the names all had an eschatological sound to them, "Snowpocolypse II," "Snowmaggedon," "SNOMG!," and so forth. We have fought the crowds to lay in our snow supplies. We have bought up every shovel in a 200 mile radius. We have listened to or watched snow coverage for hours on end. We have prayed for the power to stay on. We have watched the tree branches bow low from the weight of the piling snow even as we have been bowed low by the gray, gray skies pressing down from above as we have pushed and shoved heavy, heavy snow to clear a small path that gets snow piled again and again...

Our world had become all about survival -- getting through the storm and this winter that keeps reminding us what winter is all about.

Then in the midst of uploading photos to Facebook, I happened to glance out the window as I waited for the computer to do its work. Something caught my eye. There was a hint of a glow. I decided to investigate and ran up to my attic window and sure enough, by craning my head and looking far, far to the west, I could see a clearing in the clouds on the horizon and the bright golden pink of the sunset bathed the blanketed snow in an amazing glow. And this, this setting light was grace abundant at the close of a gray winter day. This light was sign of the storm's end and a reminder that winter too shall fall away into spring.

Thanks be.