White As Snow

We here in New England know the feeling. There is something about the first real snowfall of the year. Although to us it's a signal of a long season filled with bad weather and extended darkness. There is something special about that first snowfall. I like it best when it's just a beautiful light dusting of snow - just enough to make everything look clean and white, but not enough to cause a problem with the morning commute. Of course, some of our young people are likely hoping for more to have a day off of school or at least a delayed opening.

Now having spent thousands of hours over the past decade or so, pushing snow all around, I have to say I'm not a big fan of snow all together. I will say however that it's special in a way. Yes I can say that I even like it from time to time. One of the reasons I like snow is because it covers everything as if with a pure, white blanket. It's like getting into bed with sheets fresh out of the dryer all clean and smelling fragrant from those thingies you throw in the dryer. Snow covers the cars, the trees until the sun comes out, and even covers the old junk lying in the backyard. You know, that pile of stuff behind the garage that never gets hauled away on clean-up days. The stuff you just kind of get used to looking at. The snow covers it all up under a mound of white anonymity. Sometime in the distant Spring, the snow will melt away again, and before the Spring underbrush does its own cover thing, you'll be forced to look at the junk again. It's still there, just hidden from view and memory for the winter under the snow.

On the spiritual side, you know we all have junk in the backyards of our lives - the wreckage of our mistakes and failings - the sins we don't want to look at piled up behind the garage. The good news from God's word for you is that God just doesn't blanket that junk with snow for a little while only for it to reappear again. God calls in the cleaning crew and clears all the junk away. The first time He does this is at your baptism into Christ; from then on, every time you confess your sins. Psalm 103: 11 "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Hebrews 8: 12 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." So, while I love the beauty of snow as it creates its seasonal illusion of purity covering a multitude of junk in the backyard, the more profound beauty I am reminded of is the beauty of the blood of Christ which doesn't just cover the multitude of our sins, but washes our hearts clean and pure as that first freshly fallen snow of Winter. Eric