It snowed

OK, I guess I am not telling you anything you didn't already know. This last Friday, we had a snowstorm move through. By the time it was "done" on Saturday morning, we had 9 inches of snow here in Troy. I loved seeing it snow. I enjoyed watching the snow as it began to add up. The grass was covered, the drive started to be snow packed.

Then folks had a terrible time on the St. Louis highways. People took hours upon hours to get home. I have to say, was at home, watching on the news. I felt sorry for the folks who were struggling to make it home. It was not good for them. I thought what it might be like to be sitting in my car, sitting still, while the snow was piling up around me. Think about it, sitting in your car for hours, wondering if you would ever make it home. Yes, you know that you will, but to be stuck like that, would be overwhelming.

I looked out at the snow and thought to myself. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow." Can you imagine, sins that are terrible, are forgotten. No, not forgotten. Forgiven. Forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ who is the Savior, the One who went to the cross, who suffered, who died and who rose from the dead. Through His blood, He has washed you clean. It is like the snow that covers over the brownness, the deadness of this winter world. When the snow covers everything, it is so clean looking. In Christ, we are more than made to look clean. We are clean. Cleansed from our sins. Completely and totally. That is amazing. That is the good news that we have in Christ Jesus.

Our lives are like the winter. Covered with snow. Made clean and pure. Then the snow begins to melt. It starts to turn dirty, brown. And then is gone. The brownness is back. Winter returns. And it looks so, dead.

Our sins find a way to come back as well. Even as a baptized child of God, we find that we are tempted to sin. And will often give in to that temptation. Sin is back. Lostness is back. The joy is knowing that love of God, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit is with us each day. In Christ, that forgiveness does not wait for the next cold front and low pressure system to come together and cause it to snow. We are forgiven day after day though the grace of God, given forgiveness of sins.

All praise and thanks be to God. Think of that, as you look out at the snow.