Joy Doesn’t get Wiped Away by Someone’s Butt Prints

I almost trashed this photo today.  

But the irony of it stopped me.  

I had this idea in my head to arrange the cute pillow I received as a gift on the swing.  I could imagine how picturesque it would look--the perfect peaceful farm scene.  I would post it and friends would tell me that it looked like a Christmas card photo. I could caption it "Joy comes in the morning" and spend the day thinking back on what a great shot it was.  

Then I got closer and cropped out the part of the swing where the snow was wiped away by Caroline's booty yesterday and the ugly brown ground peeking through the melting snow.  

Those things didn't make the picture look quite as idyllic as I wanted.  I definitely liked that look better and started to delete the first one.

But the irony stopped my finger mid-air from the trashcan icon.  

Doesn't true joy happens in spite of the environment around it?  

Joy doesn't change--even when the snow isn't pristine or gets wiped away by someone's butt.  We can crop out the ugly, but those things are still there.

Joy is in spite of those things.

PS You'll never regret getting bundled up early to go outside and catch the sunrise! Joy really DOES come in the morning...