tonight – 

instead of speaking disparagingly of the cold –

i utter prayers of blessing for shelter.

tonight – 

even though the anticipation of yet another Monday encroaches upon my peaceful evening –

i consider myself lucky to have option of an agenda.

tonight –

while looking back at opportunity missed –

incidence of disappointment – 

seasons of sorrow – 

i smile.

regardless the tendency to fall victim to discontent –

i made it through each storm.

perhaps you feel burdened by similar encounters with chaos.

just maybe the storm has you trapped in less than adequate shelter. 

if i may interject evidence of plausibility – 

relevance to allowance of discord – 

before you offer platitudes of denigration aimed at the author of our creation,

i suggest you take a moment to just be still.

nowhere is it written there will be no obstacles along our journey. 

there is, 

however, 

promise of recompense. 

reward for endeavors of faith. 

compensation for pain. 

instead of lamenting over battles lost –

pride compromised – 

find solace in knowing the war will be won. 

in fact –

the outcome decided long before we even knew it had begun…