Fresh New Snow

This last week, many of us woke up to snow on the ground. Whenever it snows, I think back to my childhood. My close friend, Ralph, and I would re-enact scenes from The Empire Strikes Back. We would pretend that we were on the ice planet Hoth, battling against the Empire. Within a couple of hours, we would have gone through the movie, but then we would continue to be the Star Wars characters the rest of the day. It was fun and exciting playing around in the newness of the snow.
By the end of the day, it was obvious where we had been. The snow was no longer smooth. Mud had mixed in with the snow, changing it from a white to a brown. Footprints were all around the yards. Imprints of our bodies were scattered about.
It was also obvious where we had not been. The snow remained untouched, smooth, and pure. There was a great difference between where we had been and where we had not been. Then at night, a new snowfall would come and in the morning, everything was smooth and it became difficult to see where we had been.
Much is the same with our lives. We begin as children, innocent and untouched by the world around us. Then as we get older, sin creeps into our lives. At first, it is just a little spot, but enough to mar the beauty of God’s creation. As we allow the sin to take hold of our lives, it begins to destroy all of our beauty. So much that we forget what it was like to be innocent and pure.
The night comes, the next snowfalls. Everything is restored and covered. Such as it is with our lives, something miraculous happens. We take the step of faith and allow Jesus to work in our lives. Then, what was once marred and torn is now beautiful and whole. All of our sins are wiped away. We no longer have any blemishes and we become free of accusations before God. “But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Colossians 1:22 NIV).
No matter how bad we destroyed the snow, it was refreshed during the night. The same is with you. No matter how much sin is in your life, your life will be refreshed with the coming Christ into your life.
My friend and I no longer play Star Wars when it snows. (Though I have been accused of playing Star Wars all time.) We now have the privilege of watching our own children play in the snow. They make snow angels, snowmen, and have snowball fights. Let us not forget what it is like to be innocent and what it was like when Christ cleansed us and presents us without blemish. We can also be like youth in the fresh new snow.