Glorious in Contrast

I saw these trees up against this brick wall this morning and could not help but stop, turn around, park the van, cross the street and walk around the side of the building to capture it. There was just something about them that was irresistible and wonderful. They won't last this way for long, but however they look, I will always remember what I saw this morning. I couldn't put my finger on what made them so compelling, until I saw them tonight on my screen. It's the contrast. The trunks are fine, the tiny budding leaves are nice, the blossoms are lovely, but it is how they hold together against the red brick wall, that I think makes them glorious!

So when I got home, I found that I had received an answer to prayer for a friend. It was a "Yes", and it was wonderful! Not just fine, or nice, or lovely, but truly glorious!

And it all got me thinking about contrast.

I have had the opportunity to receive some "No" answers and a lot of "Wait" this last year. (And I think there is a tremendous amount of value in those, but that's a post for a different day.) What it caused me to wonder is if I could fully appreciate how wonderful this "Yes" was without the contrast that the "Nos" and "Waits" provide. Could anyone? Is there joy without sorrow? Is there relief without pain? Without the dark possibilities in life, would we have bright, shining moments that stand out from the others?

If life was just a never-ending string of "Yes", its individual moments could not 'pop' like this one did, for lack of contrast. Today, this one shockingly beautiful "Yes" in the life of my friend was like the burst of bright white blossoms against an imposing brick wall. And it was glorious.