Barren Grace

It's barren outside today. That's not surprising. It's December. The leaves have fallen, the light is dim, and the sky is gray. What a wonderful time to discover grace!
I struggle now with December more than I used to. The disappearing light has begun to have an affect on me as I age. Yet, even in the midst of that struggle, I can find December to be a graceful time. I avoid the shopping malls. (That is one blessing of internet shopping.) I'm distracted by very little. It's barren out. Instead, I can just sit with the gray. Empty my mind and my soul as the trees have emptied themselves of their leaves.
This is the miracle of mindfulness. It's recognizing that there's presence--spirit--grace--God--that these are there for our enjoyment in the bare fact of our existence and of the existence of the world. It's barren today. That's another way to say that the earth's existence today is quite simple. It's quiet. It invites me to be quiet. "Be still and know that I am God."