I’ve been hoping for a white Christmas, and much to my surprise, a snowstorm blew in rather quickly this evening. When I realized it was snowing, the ground was already covered in a blanket of white. I was hopeful that the snow would stick around and make my wish of a white Christmas come true. As I gazed at the soft beauty that fell from the sky, I thought how beautiful it is when a covering of snow hides the blemishes of the earth.
Those oil stains in the driveway? Covered. Those areas of dead grass on the lawn? Unseen. The trash that litters the street? Out of sight. Holes in the ground left by a dog who loves to dig? Unnoticed.
But those blemishes aren’t gone. They are simply hidden beneath the surface of the snow, hidden until the snow melts and reveals their presence once again.
And I thought how our sin is so often hidden, how are own stains and blemishes linger just beneath the surface, only to be revealed when we don’t feel the need to hide behind the facade of perfection.
Maybe it’s the kindness that is shown towards my husband when we are spending time with friends, but when left alone, the grudge that I’ve been holding against him comes out in the form of passive aggressive silence.
Maybe it’s my ability to be especially patient with my children in public, but as soon as we are in the house alone, my frustration with them is made known in the form of yelling and harsh words.
Maybe it’s the nasty words I mumble to myself, referring to the driver who cut me off; words that no one else hears as I am in my car alone.
Maybe it’s my eye rolling when my son starts whining, again, for the hundredth time in one day. Maybe it’s the staring at my phone as I tune out my overly talkative daughter. Maybe it’s the complaining to myself about how needy my son is, and harboring resentment against my husband because I feel jealous of his supposed freedom away from the kids all day. Maybe it’s my refusal to help my daughter with a project, not because she doesn’t actually need help, but because I simply don’t feel like helping her. All of these things unseen as we go through our day at home.
My sin might be hidden from the world at large, but God sees. God knows.
But the good news? Our sin no longer leaves a stain. The blood of Jesus didn’t just cover the stains of our sin like the snow covers the stains of the earth, it actually made us as pure and unblemished as the snow. Isaiah 1:18 tells us “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
Because of Jesus, we are forgiven, made as clean as the fresh white snow that falls from the sky.
So, you know what? Even if this snow doesn’t stick around, it’s still possible to have a white Christmas. Even if you don’t get that Christmas snow you are hoping for, just remember that the earth has already been made white with the blood of Jesus; the blood from the baby who was born with the sole purpose of washing us clean.
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