This week we got our first burst of winter weather. The storm was accompanied by sharp winds, slippery sidewalks and the kind of cold that makes your nose stick together if you breathe too deeply. Despite these mildly uncomfortable conditions, I am a firm believer that there is nothing more magical than walking in the snow. As I toddle my way to class, in boots that are a size too big, I can’t resist the urge to stick out my tongue and lick the snowflakes that fly in my face. Everything around me is covered in a beautiful layer of icing and I am in awe of the way my daily trudge across campus has become a wonderland stroll. The bare trees and muddy grass, which were leftover from fall, are now transformed into a glittering display of icicles and fluff.
The old is gone. The new has come. These are the words that ring through my ears as a snowflake kisses my cheek. And then I am reminded of a song I have sung in church thousands of times, “My sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” I begin to sing it under my breath. As it turns out, this line comes almost directly from the Bible. So this week I made time to read Isaiah 1:16-19, which says, “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. ‘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. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.’”
What a perfect picture of forgiveness! Snow. This year has been difficult for me. At times, my heart has felt like the ugly, barren trees. I have felt useless and hopeless, unsure of my purpose. I have doubted God, hurt others, and tried to handle everything in my own strength. Then the words of Isaiah remind me that I have a choice in the matter, “If you are willing and obedient” then you will be cleansed. I can invite forgiveness into my life. I can invite the snow to cover all of my grime and make me glimmer. However, I believe there is one important difference between the literal snow and the healing that can be received from our Heavenly Father. Snow melts. It only temporarily covers the muddiness beneath the surface. But God’s forgiveness and love transforms us permanently, making us beautiful on all levels.
I am so thankful for the snow that has brought joy into my daily routine. But I am even more grateful for the renewal that has been sent from my Father. Today I choose to embrace forgiveness. I choose to let go of the past, the hurt and the disappointment. Make me clean, Lord. Make me new. Let it snow!
