A Cure For The Winter Blues?

There is a saying in ASP-year round-land-- "Are you feeling the winter blues yet?" Many of my friends from Michigan know exactly what that might refer to, and would probably be willing to share their advice, pity and/or their SAD lamp. (Seasonal Affective Disorder is no joke, folks. It is literally just GRAY for 4 months of the Michigan year. Rough stuff.) Around here there's a similar feeling, but it mostly begins because of the long winter period where we have no volunteers. It's strange to work for a volunteer-based home repair ministry and not see a single volunteer for months. We were warned about  this very thing at our fall training, but there's really nothing that can prepare you for wintertime in Brenton living with your coworkers and being forced to find busywork around the center. On top of all that, Appalachia is just, sort of, ugly in the winter. The trees are just there, and with the exception of a fresh snowfall, just really brown and really, really plain. 

I've spent all of my life with the understanding that natural beauty in creation was an easy way for me to find God. Knowing that, you can begin to grasp why watching my massive, lush green mountains shrivel into piles of brown sticks and rocks whose only purpose seems to be making the sun set an hour early, is distressing for me. When I was placed on staff my second summer in Mercer county, we arrived into the CITY of Bluefield where we would be living for the next 8 weeks and I was so disappointed. Crying on the phone to my mom the first night, I complained that there was none of that "mountain magic" I'd been looking forward to--we lived behind a Hardee's and the main road ran next to a thriving set of seven dirty railroad tracks. Nights weren't "country quiet" and days weren't spent driving around on winding roads, taking in the sheer height of the mountains and trees. It wasn't easy to be with God and I think that I was there for a reason--to learn to find beauty in unconventional ways and places. As the summer progressed, I stopped hoping for a stroll down Easy Street with God, and I ended up finding him everywhere, especially in unexpected places and people. I think it's true that I'm being challenged again here--both to find beauty in an ugly winter, and to find hope in a hopeless place.

I filled out a survey for UM today about where I ended up after graduation. I got to a yes/no question that said, "Is your current position in your preferred geographic location?" (which I feel was just their politically correct way of asking if I like where I live) and I froze. So badly I want to be able to answer yes to that question, so I'm going to start a new thing where I try to find something beautiful everyday, even if it's small, until the first signs of spring arrive--aka our first big bunch of volunteers, on March 4th. I'll try to include pictures to make it more fun for everyone :)

Monday, January 7th -- Friday, January 11:

I think that joy is a pretty beautiful thing. Blessed to have so much laughter in my life right now. Also, we had really incredible volunteers this week (and not just because they gave us t-shirts, but free shirts is a beautiful thing in itself)

Saturday, January 12:

Not hard to find beauty when a day in January is sunny and 70 degrees, but I found this bridge to be particularly nice.

Sunday, January 13th:

Today was a true day of rest and I definitely find beauty in rest.

"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8