Winter Snow

“Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the 

new has
come! “  (2
Corinthians 5:17)

As my wife
woke me up at 4 am our first winter in Alaska, she yelled, “Quick, get up and
come see the thermometer!  Its 60 degrees
below zero!”  Wonderful, I muttered to
myself as I hurried back to bed.  Now, I
don’t mind cold weather, its mornings I don’t care for.  I’m not a morning person.  Actually, what I really enjoyed about winters
in Alaska was not so much the presence of cold weather, but the absence of
mosquitoes.  

I enjoy winter
activities, such as dog sledding, the coming of Christmas, and hunting, yet at
the same time, all the life and energy of the summer seems to dwindle away as birds fly
south, and insects tuck themselves away.  The days become shorter, and the bright sun
doesn’t seem quite as bright.

One day, something else crossed my mind.  As I stepped outside I quickly noticed a fresh
patch of snow on the ground.  There is nothing
like the first snow fall of winter, which leaves the ground fluffy, pure, and clean
looking; free from any dirt or debris.  Immediately, my mood shifts to one of awe for
what God can do with any situation.

While the winter may not be as warm as the summer, or have the same
characteristics, God makes it special and wonderful in its own way.  The same way He does with all of us.  We may not all have grown up in Christian
families, or even have a history of which we are proud.  But regardless, God makes all things new,
clean and beautiful in His sight. (1 John 1:9)  He takes our past situation, and makes it work
out for His glory. 

“And we know
that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).

So, don’t forget the past you came from, but do remember how God has changed
and improved your life.  Remember the
power that He holds to take any situation and make it good. “I know that you can do all things; no plan of
yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2)

And during
this new year, when you see someone who needs God, then share His love story
with them.

“Yet to all
who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human
decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12-13)