Snow Lessons

So this past week has been a cold one here in Denver.  We received two storms that dumped almost a foot of snow on us, which I hear is not uncommon but it's the first we have seen of that kind of weather in that kind of abundance.  Sunday morning began with blizzard like conditions and Christian gave us a ride to church because it was just so much snow and so much wind.  The pictures just don't do it justice.

But I certainly can't say that I minded being chauffeured to church!  I love any chance to walk in with my man by my side!

That afternoon, we hung out at the house and had a little slice of heaven...aka worship jam and fellowship.  Then we went sledding with a bunch of people from church and came home to warm up with pizza and a movie.

In the time we were at church, a snow drift had covered our front walk.

Which Seth promptly walked right through because it looked so fun.

And of course, Christian couldn't resist a snow angel in that much deep snow...

  Monday we built a sledding course through our tiny front yard (I promise even thought the camera angle makes it look like the kids will crash into the light pole or the fire hydrant they really are safe...christian even built in burms. Then we got more snow Tuesday!

The kid looked like a penguin sloshing around the curves of the course.  The kids had SO MUCH FUN!

In all of this snow, Jesus taught the kids and I a pretty cool picture lesson.  We were driving to go pick up a friend and on the radio a song was playing about how everything "rides on hope, everything rides on faith somehow, and when the world has broken me down, Your love sets me free..."  Seth asks me from the backseat, "Mommy, did she write this song BEFORE she knew Jesus?"  It took me a second to figure out exactly what he meant.  I was focused on driving through slush and ice and snow and sort of didn't get what he meant.  To clarify, I asked him why he would ask that and he basically felt like those were weird words to sing if you're already saved.  He got it that before you ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior of course you need hope and faith and to be set free but he really didn't get how the world could break you down if you're saved.  I was a little dumbfounded and still trying to pay attention to the road because of the snow when Jesus gave me the words to say, to my son, to myself, and to any of us that have felt like we're glad Jesus saved us but we've got it from here.....

For those of you that have lived in a place that snows or at least visited a place that snows, you know it is beautiful.  The morning after a fresh snow, it seems to sparkle like glitter even in spots.  It is that beautiful picture of Jesus covering over all of our junk to make something so beautiful.  But, you also know that anywhere someone touches the snow it is clear that someone has touched it.  You can't undo a snow angel or foot prints.  And anywhere something dirty has touched the snow, you can tell.  The dirty snow on the side of the road is so gross looking.  Seth made the comment the other day, "I only like the fresh snow mama, not the brown stuff."  And the dirty snow cannot be cleaned off or made smaller.  It will only spread to the rest of the snow.  But you cant help it that the snows gets dirty.  That's just life.  People drive to work or the store or to pick up friends like I was doing that morning and the dirt from life is splashed onto the beauty of the fresh snow.  Only another fresh snow will renew the beauty.

So I told the kids, as Jesus spoke it to my heart, "Look at the side of the road guys.  Our need for fresh hope, fresh faith...our need to be set free from the yuck of the world...it's not a one time thing.  Just like the snow that comes in contact with the yuck on the roads and the cars, we come into contact with life, with the dirt of the world and the dirt of our own yucky natures.  We need a fresh batch of snow, a fresh batch of grace and faith and hope to free us when we touch the yuck of life.  And we will.  We are not perfect.  This is not heaven.  We will constantly need Him, His touch and grace and love.  This isn't a one time need for God."

We don't have a one time need for God.  For reals, do we get that?  Do I get that?  We need Him daily, no matter our background or current situation.  We have a constant need to truly EXPERIENCE His grace, His love, His presence.  I want to know Him like that.  I want to live under a constant blanket of fresh sparkly snow-like grace.  And His word says He has new mercy every morning for me.  I don't have to wait anxiously to see if the storm will pan out and give us enough snow to actually make a difference.  What He did on the cross for me, it was MORE than sufficient to blanket me, and every day I wake up covered again by Him, renewed and refreshed from the yuck of the world.  It was such a vivd picture as we drove across town that I hope we never forget it.