Today I took Dutch to the big open field at Sylvan Christian school. She loves playing fetch in the open field. With the crisp cold and sunshine, I layered my clothing, laced up my boots and set off to play a bit. It was on the 2nd throw when Dutch lost track of the ball that seemed to sail through the air and disappear in the snow. I trudged out to help her find the bright orange ball in the field of white, thinking it should be quite obvious.
I was surprised that I could not spot it where I was sure it had landed. I started to try to look for a spot in the snow where the ball entered….but no luck. How can an orange ball disappear in the midst of this while field?
I started walking around and crunching the top layer of snow which was more like a layer of ice. It broke with a sense of crispness. I could feel the pressure against my boots and it took some intentional pressure to break the top layer. I was surprised that underneath that crisp, firm layer of protective ice was oodles of fluffy white snow. It was the light and playful kind of snow and Dutch delighted in it as i broke up more and more of the icy top layer.
And so it got me thinking….
The journey in the snow today reminded me of times I apply a protective layer to my heart. When i have this layer, from a distance it looks acceptable and may even appear a bit shiny, but when I have this protective layer on my heart, it often hides some of the treasures that are within. During this journey to my heart, I have had good friends apply some gentle pressure and crack this layer, only to delight in and teach me about the playful, light-hearted treasures that are underneath.
And just so you know, as you see in the picture above, Dutch also found her treasure once we broke up that top layer.
Great analogy! Thanks, Trish!
Our dogs can teach up a lot of great life-lessons!