We cringe before we wonder

This morning, in the midst of my weariness from a crazy weekend, in the middle of my much-needed cup of coffee, while partially done with a page of math problems with my student, during the sparse white snowfall that contrasted with the sunshine of last week, God sent a moose calf to catch my eye.

I was surprised, but not nearly as surprised as my student. When I tried to point it out to her as it loped slowly across the crest of the hill and further from us, I startled her, and in her the stress from that fright, she wasn't able to attempt seeing it until it was too late. Then she was sad, as I've always been when I've missed an unusual or beautiful sight.

We, all timid and easily frightened children, do things like this. We miss things that we later wish we hadn't, because we were scared. We cringe before we wonder. We falter before we try. We turn away before we taste and see. And so we miss some of the little things, and some of the great things, that are put before us. But how does faith factor into our reactions to these things - these sudden, sharp, frightening, unknown things? How much should we ignore our human weaknesses and hesitancy, and give things a try when we might not feel up to it? This I ponder.

Meanwhile, I am thankful for the unusual or surprising gifts of this day. #278-287

A small black moose ambling from behind the chicken shed and down the hill out of view
That morning cup of coffee, freshly ground and brewed, to interrupt my yawns
Raindrops on my windshield that make the world look shimmery, distorted. And windshield wipers that kind of work
Milking a goat for the first time in 8 or 10 years
A monster cookie, warm and soft
The surprise of a good simile, via Jesse and his commonplace book
Hearing the back door slam open and shut, a roommate's familiar step, when I've been home alone for a long time
Figuring out how to make the iron steam
The blink of facebook chat starting when it's a friend I haven't seen in probably a couple years
The classical music station working all the way to and from work