Winter is a time of change. We celebrate the birth of a remarkable child - and the understanding that He was born to be a sacrifice so that we could live. We celebrate the passing of an old year and look forward to the new with hope and yearning that the next one will be better than the last. Snow falls, kids play, and we stand in awe of the beauty of nature. We long for peace and wait for spring, it is a season of renewal.
Winter is my favorite season. Nothing reminds me more of God's grace than a freshly fallen layer of snow. Snow covers without discrimination: grey streets with oil stains and potholes; yards, both unkempt and manicured; homes, both mansions and shacks. The dirtiness of this world, a human creation, is cleansed - renewed - by snow. It is God's reminder that He can do the same in our lives.
Winter helps me understand David's words in Psalms: wash me, and I will be whiter than snow, and later Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. We may wreck our lives. We may come to God in tatters, dirty, and broken. Yet, through the birth of the Christ child, His life, and His ultimate sacrifice, we can be renewed.
So this winter, I will celebrate more than just the manger, but also the cross. I will observe more than a new year, but a new life. I will embrace change and renewal. This season will be a reminder of God's enduring promises: Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; and I am making all things new.
(Originally posted on What's Inside on 12/7/08)
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