An unexpected snow fall in the middle of the night is one of the most magical events in winter.

I woke up a few mornings ago to the quiet chatter of my children.  Their excited whispers were telling of the fresh, clean layer of snow that covered the ground.  There was an excitement that consumed our house.  SNOW!

It is important to remember that our family had lived in the tropics for almost 11 years.  For most of our kids, the only home they ever knew was an island paradise.  And the islands don't have snow.  We were going to play in the snow!

![woman-1829436_640.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSPorc2toXws8VoeJMKBdoeBGtvsDp7x89nrV3LneETq2/woman-1829436_640.jpg)

<h1>Bundling up!</h1>

Everyone looked liked a round, plump marshmallow.  Most of us had at least two layers on, and some 3 or 4.   When a child was bundled up, we sent them to the back porch.  I asked them to wait there before running through the snow.  There is something beautiful about virgin snow.  No tracks.  No dirt.  No mess.

I wanted to enjoy the pristine, uninterrupted snow for just a moment, because in a matter of seconds it would all be gone.  And with a single word, my kids had permission to play (and they played hard).  There were snow balls flying.  Snow angels everywhere.  And long tracks of tiny snow boots all over the yard.

Watching my kids brought me joy, but the pristine snow was gone.  The mess was made.

<h1>Yellow Snow = Messy Life</h1>

My mamma told me never to eat yellow snow.  I bet your mamma told you the same thing.

The problem with yellow snow is that it is contaminated.  It is dirty, filthy, and messy.    But the reality of yellow snow is that it represents life.  Life is messy, and honestly most of us are a mess too.  When you truly live life, you bring your mess with you and you make a mess of the world around you.  I admit that the mess is bad, but denying the mess is even worse.  

Here is how I am trying to address the yellow snow issue:
1.  **Admit that it exists.**  
    There is no reason to deny my mess.  It is what it is.  It is who I am, but it does not fully define who I can be.

2. **Live authentically with other people.**  
    I really get discouraged when people pretend that their life is perfect, because if my life experience has taught me anything it has taught me that no one's life is perfect.  

    I want to surround myself with people who are honest about their struggles so that we can work together to help each other in the struggles.

3. **Find a solution to the problem.**
    Most of us are pretty good at covering up our mess (hidding the yellow snow with clean snow), but none of us can completely remove our mess. 

Whether you believe in God, a central life force, or place complete trust in yourself, I challenge you think about what you are doing with the yellow snow.

- Are you trying to hide it?
- Are you being honest about it with the people you live life with?
- Are you seeking God for forgiveness?
- Are you doubting God because of the yellow snow in your life?

In some ways, we all are yellow snow eaters.  So what are we gonna do about it?

I would love to hear from you in the comment section.

<h1>@sumatranate</h1>

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Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/woman-child-baby-snow-clouds-1829436/