Snow

Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered (Romans 4:7).

For many people, snow is something you see in pictures but never experience in person. Snow is not part of the Christmas landscape in Florida or the major cities of California. Children in Iraq and southeast Asia don’t have any snow capped mountains nearby that they can go and visit. For a lot of people, snow is something of a fairy tale.

Now I realize there are times when you might wish that snow only was a fairy tale. Snow can be a nuisance to shovel. Large amounts of snow can interfere with your plans by closing roads, cutting off power, and forcing events to be rescheduled. Snow can be expensive when slippery conditions result in car accidents. Snow can be an annoyance.

Yet children always have fun with snow. They make snow angels, snowmen, and snow forts. They sled and slide and jump into snowdrifts. A lot of the time, kids see what adults do not—that snow is beautiful.

I think it’s a tragedy that some people will never experience snow, and that so many others have lost their appreciation of it. Snow is a wonderful thing. Snow is a great illustration of how God shows His love to human sinners like you and me.

Everyone is a sinner. Each of us has nasty thoughts, speaks hurtful words, and does things that are selfish and irresponsible. Sin makes life look like a field where everything has dried out and turned brown. Sin makes life look like a grove where all the leaves have withered up and fallen to the ground. Sin makes everything look drab and dead.

But snow covers up the fields and groves with soft and gentle whiteness. Snow picks up the rays of sunshine and sparkles in response. This illustrates what God does for us; He covers up our flaws with His righteousness, a pure white covering that makes everything look wonderfully new. Jesus offers to take away our sin and cover us with His perfection; if we accept this gift, our lives can sparkle with new beauty as His holy light reflects on us.

With enough snow, anything ugly can be covered over and become pretty; through the gift of forgiveness, Jesus can do the same for you.