White as Snow

Whenever there is a fresh blanket of snow on the ground, someone, somewhere, will make a reference to how sin is covered by grace, or our sin is covered by Christ's blood, and what was once dirty and gross is now clean and as white as new-fallen snow.  Far be it from me to disappoint...

Yesterday, we got a light dusting of snow in the mountains, about 6-8 inches--beautiful, fluffy white snow.  Covering the trees, the cars, the deck, the rocks.  Piled up high on top of bird feeders, light poles, and whatever was left laying out in the yard is wearing a cute little snow hat.  Yes, everything looks beautiful and clean and fresh.  The side garden is all covered with snow, including the weeds and brambles and the extra plastic planters I unceremoniously just tossed down by the compost bin.  The front garden is a winter wonderland, with magical, snow-covered branches and what looks like fairy dust on the bird bath; the half-decomposed, moldy kitchen scraps dug up by a bear or raccoon are no longer visible, and the stumps of trees Alex never got around to leveling, begging to trip up an unsuspecting gardener (uh, me), are now gentle mounds of soft, white snow.  The dents and rust on the bumper of my car are hidden by a new lovely winter coat, and the back deck, normally littered with shells of sunflower seeds from my collection of bird feeders, is now coated with a white ermine blanket of freshly fallen snow.  

But in a few days, it will all melt, and only the ugliness and dirt will remain.  I will once again be reminded of the need to bury my kitchen scraps deeper to prevent the forest animals from digging them back up, and I will have to walk more carefully among the stumps until Alex has time to cut them down. My car will have rust, and dents needing fixing, and I'll have to take a broom to the back deck.  

So where am I going with all this? Today I was reading three verses in Lamentations:  

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lam 3:21-23)

Reading those three short verses, my heart leapt. His mercies never come to an end! They are new every morning! My Lord loves me always. He has forgiven me and will continue to forgive me, every new day of my life. Despite the fact that He knows I will commit new sins, grievous sins.  Despite the fact that it is in His power to punish me, punishment I deserve, to destroy me...He does not.  He is the personification, the perfection of mercy.  New mercies.  Every morning.  Not snow, just covering things up, snow that just hides the dirt underneath, snow that will melt away. Not just an appearance of cleanliness. But mercy. Forgiveness.  Complete, utter, final, washed in Jesus' blood, mercy.  

"as far as the East is from the West, so does he remove our transgressions from us"  (Ps 103:12)

"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 like crimson, they shall become like wool."  Isaiah 1:18

I love snow.  Thank you Jesus for making my sins white and beautiful so I may have continual hope in God's everlasting love.  

Snow does make folks wax poetic.  

What to wear, what to wear?

We all face it every day, in one way or another. What to wear? Some of us just reach in the closet or the dresser (or that jumbled pile of clothes on the floor at the bottom of the bed) and grab whatever doesn't grab back. Some of us must coordinate every single item in our outfit, from our hairpins to our shoes and socks, while others just throw on whatever will keep us from getting arrested or fired from our jobs. Some dress to impress. Some dress to excite. Others still dress for the shock value, and still others dress to blend in, to not be seen. We dress for comfort, for warmth, for sex appeal. Some folks are told what to wear, so they are identified by what they wear--military, firemen, policemen, medical staff. We have underwear, outerwear, footwear, sleepwear, and swimwear. Clothes for all seasons and every occasion. Clothing to get married in, and clothes to get buried in. I could go on and on (and on), but I think you get it.  

We all spend time deciding what to wear, how we are to present ourselves to the world, whether that is a world of one or one million. We look at ourselves in mirrors, checking out the reflection of our choices. We ask friends, directly or indirectly, "how do I look?" and "does this make me look fat?" or "do you think this outfit is okay?"  We even check our skirts/makeup/hair several times throughout the day (yes, even those of you who choose to wear pants around your knees). At 61, I still ask friends what they are wearing to a certain function, to make sure I am appropriately dressed, and I don't go anywhere without a lipstick.

How many days, though, do I wake up and get on with my day, or respond to a mean-spirited comment, or engage in idle conversation with friends or family, smile at inappropriate jokes, pass on false rumors, not speak out to defend the wrongly maligned? And forget that I am a new creation in Christ?  

That, above all, I am "to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:24

What others see is not just what we are wearing, but what is inside of us—our thoughts, our moods, our worries, our joys. What we believe and what we live is reflected in our eyes, on our skin, in our expressions, and of course in our words, actions, and deeds. So often I leave the house, dressed in an outfit I think is, well, sort of cute (translation: my muffin top is camouflaged and I can sit down comfortably), my hair is combed, my face is washed and looks presentable, and I run into a friend. The friend says, “Hey hun, how are you?”  And, without skipping a beat, I start a rant about my most recent irritation, heartache, or gripe. I don’t put off my old self, or reflect Christ, or even stop and look at the person and perhaps wonder how SHE is doing, looking in HER eyes, and asking about HER day!  Nope, I just ramble on about my trials and tribulations.  And even if the conversation is not a question about me, specifically, but general social banter, I have, at times, just thrown off my new sanctification clothing and jumped into the fray, slinging mud with the rest of them.  

Putting on a new self is not something we can, or should, do with our eyes closed, or with no thought to how it will turn out. We should spend as much time, if not more, deciding how we are to reflect our inner, Christ-given beauty, as we spend displaying our wardrobe, makeup, and cosmetics. Because the former is what we will wear for eternity. Eternity folks. I haven’t found an outfit yet that will fit me no matter how much I weigh, or be presentable no matter how often I wear it. But my new self? That is worth investing more time.  

For this IS the imperative, and the most crucial part of my wardrobe. Before I put on ANYTHING else, I MUST put on the renewed spirit granted to me by God's grace.  Without it, I might as well wear nothing.