Blessings Depend on One's Perspective

Though frigid, the day yesterday was sunny. In honor of the sun, I made my recuperating mother a sunshine bagel. Those are pear slices for the sun rays. I am doing my best to entice interest in her food and it is surprising what a varied palette food provides in this artistic endeavor.

For lunch, I dressed up her chicken sandwich in a scarf and ear muffs. The forecast for 11 below (real temperature) could not be ignored if the day's food was a weather theme. Sunny, but as cold as a polar bear's nose when he goes ice fishing.  (I'm just guessing about that.)

Lucky for us, the weatherman was wrong! The low was -17. Yes. No kidding. What kind of breakfast creation can I make today to memorialize THAT???

The good news is, we still have heat and no good reason to go outside. God is gracious. Meanwhile, Mom continues to improve slowly. She is independent for the most part but it takes her about ten times longer than it used to. I told her to just think of getting dressed as her therapy, her exercise. If I want exercise I have to go run in -17 degrees. Blessings depend on one's perspective.

Last night Mom and I had a discussion about the basic depravity of the human heart. She was not eager to believe me till I asked her to think of anyone who she knew very well who didn't have a very ugly side. (I call that sin, btw.) She couldn't come up with anyone...except for one person. I actually had thought of the same person. I don't know if there is an ugly side we don't see, but we haven't seen it. Anyway, in general she came to the same conclusion I had. Every one (with that one possible exception) is sinful. This was a big concession for Mom. She said, "How depressing."
"Yes, it is," I said, "But not for me. Jesus died for that very reason. My sins are washed away."

So, like the -17 below, it's all a matter of perspective where you find the blessing.
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1 John 1:9 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 3:23-26 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.