We cry, "Abba, Father"

 I took this picture this morning before the sun came up. The blue isn’t a filter. That’s the color of the sky and the snow. There are a few tracks where the dogs ran around for a few minutes before they were waiting impatiently on the steps for me to let them back in the house. I couldn’t really see when I let them out, but I assume that the surface of the snow was smooth and beautiful. For some reason the snow got in my brain this morning, so this post may be a little flakey. Honestly, my brain has been jumping all over the place thinking about random things related to the snow.  I hope you can keep up because I’m having a little trouble keeping up with myself. 

Isaiah 1:17-19 (HCSB)

17 Learn to do what is good.

Seek justice.

Correct the oppressor.

Defend the rights of the fatherless.

Plead the widow’s cause.

18 “Come, let us discuss this,”

says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they will be as white as snow;

though they are as red as crimson,

they will be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the good things of the land.

The snow is a picture of how God forgives our sin. I wasn’t ashamed to post this picture of my yard today, because the clean white snow made it beautiful. Yesterday I would have been horrified to post a picture because I have some major landscaping needs. Even my attempts to make the back yard look better have ended up making it look worse. I will try to explain that as simply as possible. The property was homesteaded by my great-great grandfather. At some point in time, it was terraced for farming purposes. Over the years the terraces have eroded causing issues with poor drainage and standing water after a rain. I put in some drainage pipes to address one area which only made the problem worse on the next terrace. So I decided to use potted plants to absorb the extra water and make the low area a beautifully landscaped area. (me laughing at how ridiculous that sounds now) Because the ground is so wet, the pots sit unevenly, what I call “caddywhompus.” I put down cardboard as a barrier for the weeds that were growing there. I got some free mulch from where the city shreds the yard waste they pick up. Apparently, someone hid a bicycle in the yard waste, which the city shredded and gave me mixed up with the mulch. Did I mention dogs? Now cardboard, the larger pieces of yard waste mulch and the remains of the bicycle are spread all over my yard. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so frustrating. Now that you’ve had a good laugh about my landscaping disaster, let’s talk about our own efforts to make our sin beautiful. No matter how hard we try, it’s still sin. Muddy, yard waste, scrap metal, nasty. But like the beautiful snow this morning, God covers our sin, makes us clean and pure and pretty when we confess our sin for the ugliness it is, and accept His gift of salvation. 

Proverbs 31: 20-21 Holman Christian Standard Bible

20 Her hands reach out to the poor,

and she extends her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows,

for all in her household are doubly clothed.

In his praise of a capable wife, Lemuel says that she doesn’t worry when it snows because she has taken care of her family and knows they will be warm. Anyone who knows me well knows that I can be a little obsessive and have a tendency to overthink things. Yesterday morning the local meteorologist casually mentioned that the heavy wet snow might possibly cause a few power outages. I rearranged the carport so we could easily get to the generator, bought extra tanks of propane for the portable gas space heater, and 3 containers of gasoline for the generator. I already have a system of extension cords in place should we need the generator. I wasn’t worried about the snow, but I didn't want anyone who had not made these preparations to be cold with no place to go, so I posted this on Facebook and texted it to the ladies in my Sunday School class. 

Friends, neighbors, family, church family: I heard this morning that there’s a possibility of heavy snow that could accumulate on trees and impact our electric service. I just want to let you know that I have a fireplace, a portable generator (with 12 gallons of gasoline), and a couple of propane space heaters (with 4 propane cans).  You are always welcome here. I don’t want anyone to sit in the cold and think they have nowhere to go. I have sandwich meat and bread, a few things in the freezer that were leftovers that I froze. A few frozen pizzas. Anything that we can heat up with a small appliance using the generator we should be able to cook and eat. so please know that you are welcome here. I have an extra queen size bed, a twin fold out, and a Queen fold out, as well as a double inflatable mattress.

I really meant this. If anyone doesn’t have electricity, they are more than welcome here. I didn’t do it for any other reason. People made sweet comments. I know they were being appreciative, but I didn’t want anyone to “brag” on me for sharing the comfort that God has given me with others. I felt a weird kind of “uncomfortable" about it. But then I started to hear the evil voice tempting me to be proud of being willing to share. You’ve heard the voice that too. I don’t know your situation, but the devil will use any opportunity to try to make us prideful. And God does not like for us to be prideful.

Mark 7:21-23 Holman Christian Standard Bible 21 For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, 22 adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, promiscuity, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

Now, back to my dogs and my backyard. The dogs have made tracks all in the snow today. It’s still white, but it has holes in it. The devil will try to make tracks in the snow of our forgiveness, but he cannot take away our redemption. When we face pride or any of the multitude of things that make our snow feel dirty, we remember our salvation, confess as John writes for us to do, and pray as David did for the restoration of the JOY of God’s salvation. 

1 John 1:9-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Psalm 51:7-12 

Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones You have crushed rejoice.

9 Turn Your face away from my sins

and blot out all my guilt.

10 God, create a clean heart for me

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not banish me from Your presence

or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me,

and give me a willing spirit.