The polar vortex is a lot like life

Last week a polar vortex hit the Midwest, and that meant crazy cold temperatures --- I mean -60 degrees windchill temperatures.

And that meant time spent inside for most of us.

When I woke up on Saturday, it was 35 degrees, and the outside was calling me. We were out of coffee, and I had a gift certificate to a coffee shop two blocks away, so I decided I would just walk there to get an americano.

While I was walking, I was thinking how that polar vortex really resembled life.

That's because, one of my first thoughts was, "Lord, thank you for cold temperatures that make 35 degrees seem so warm."

There's nothing quite like a 90-degree increase in temperature in the winter, and although I didn't enjoy the freezing cold, it did make what would seem cold to some feel super warm. Life is a lot like that too, the hard times make us appreciate when times are good.

I think of a post by a friend who is going through cancer right now. She is going to have surgery to remove a tumor, and it has a lot of terrible side effects, but her response was "But I'll be alive!" She is going through a terrible time, but those struggles have so made her appreciate life, and that is truly a blessing.

There's nothing quite like the cold that makes you appreciate the warmth.

As I was walking, a breeze picked up. However, it didn't bother me, because I had probably over-prepared for being outside after the frigid temperatures last week. I had on fleece-lined leggings underneath my jeans, and I had on a T-shirt and sweatshirt underneath my heated coat. The breeze was chilly, but I had prepared, so it wasn't too bad.

When bad times in life come at us, we learn from them. We learn to overcome those times. We learn to prepare for those times so that next time, the bad isn't quite so bad.

When you're prepared for the cold, it isn't so terrible.

The polar vortex is a lot like life. And I'm thankful for quiet moments on walks that let me think through things like that.