It snowed this weekend, more than it has in a long time. We're not used to the snow or the mess it creates but I'm thankful it was here. I had Wyatt with me on Saturday night for a sleep over with Tucker. By Sunday morning, we all were ready for him to go home. Walking him there was a good way to get us exercised, despite the conditions. All things considered, I'm so glad we did.
It had snowed so much during the day that many trees were losing branches. The sounds of those branches crashing down below filled the air as others hung heavy from the weight of the snow, on the verge of breaking at any moment. Of the ones I could reach, I would shake the snow off then cheer as a branch or even young tree stood upright again. I did this numerous times on the walk home, with much rejoicing along the way, despite the loss of yet another limb giving up.
At some point during this walk, and in light of Dion's fall from grace in his marriage, God and sin came to mind. The snow represented the pressures the world places on us to conform to it or to how we try to carry our issues and problems on our own, without Jesus' help. The weight can become too heavy to bear, causing so many of us, like Dion, to succumb to that weight. Rather than falling to his knees in humility and prayer, he fell to the ground in shame, breaking the hearts of those who love him most. The more branches and limbs I came across during this walk, the sadder I was for all of the people who weren't strong enough to stand up to temptation or against the lies being fed them. It was a stark reminder of just how fragile those without complete faith can be.
This morning's walk was so different from the former. The sun was shining, bright and glorious. It was too early to be warm but from the looks of it, today was going to be beautiful. As we entered the woods nearby, I listened to a sound that was so much different from two days ago. It was the silent sound of snow melting from the trees. Yes, the sun was causing the snow to come off, sparing the trees that withstood it. To see it happen was like watching God dust the residue of our issues off our shoulders. It was as if to say, "Good job! Through it, you stayed strong. Now, be free." What an amazing experience it was to see so many trees being relieved of their excess weight and be able to stand upright again. Another reminder of God's grace and the lack of power sin has on the righteous.
Another metaphor crossed my mind. The sound of the branches crashing to the ground versus the quiet melting of snow. The devil tempts and deceives through the loud, showy or obvious. We are easily mesmerized by the hypnotic beat of bad music or flashy TV commercials of barely clothed models. God doesn't work that way. He can be heard in a whisper, the hush of a gentle breeze, the soft rustling of leaves. He is heard in the quiet drips of melting snow, saying, "You are set free."
How blessed are those who love and serve Him.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep...
And miles to go before I sleep."
