Tuba-Twelve

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The Preacher Man used to be a Plumber before he entered into ministry. 

He still is a plumber some days, I believe, on an as-needed basis. I have seen him carry a plunger and tote a wrench before. Perhaps it was his lay trade history that makes it so he says things that get me tickled and make me take another look at things that are familiar. 

I have never been in construction but I have on a number of times traversed the aisles of the Home Improvement Store. The smell of lumber draws me in like freshly baked bread does some other folks. It ushers in reminiscing and memories. When I was little, some of my people were into carpentry. My play was sprinkled with wood scraps and sawdust like some kids’ play is peppered with play-doh and glitter.   

Perhaps it is that which has laid a foundation of familiarity when The Plumber-turned-preacher goes back to his roots. This might have been the case when he preached on Matthew Chapter 7, verse 3; it is a verse about the plank in one’s own eye whilst pointing out the splinter in someone else’s eye. The King was speaking metaphorically at the time, and to be honest I have known this story for a lot of years. The thought of a piece of wood in my eye seems uncomfortable, but that is where the lesson mostly ended for me. I had missed the point of the story entirely. Maybe the preacher knew that so he drew from construction days as he began to break it down for his congregants, yours truly included. 

He likened the log in the eye to a piece of lumber, specifically a two-by-twelve, two inches wide and twelve foot long. He is deeply southern and pronounced two-by-twelve all together making it sound like “tuba-twelve.” 

A two-by-twelve is long and thin so it bounces and bends easily as it is ill-supported, and isn’t easily maneuverable. A two-by-twelve is an awkward piece of lumber. The mental picture began to form in my mind. 

Imagine trying to walk around stabilizing that plank of wood, managing to go through life with that tree hanging off your face. The metaphor had become clearer. Imagine that nonsense when you are concerned with a speck in someone else’s eye. As the Preacher man spoke, his description of the “tuba-twelve” made me realize that until that moment I had completely missed the purpose of the parable. As he preached, he challenged us all to be aware of our own plank of wood, and now I remind myself to be ever cognizant of my tuba-twelve while being careful not to point out other folk’s stuff. 

Honoring the Birthday Girl

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Birthdays are important at our house. It’s not that we rent out the bouncy houses or big venues, nor do we buy huge expensive presents. Those days are important to honor two people, the one who is turning a year older and the mother who birthed them. It’s easy to get caught up in the fanfare and yet not honor the ones most affected by this day. Our society tends to be all about big events while managing not to truly honor the honoree: think arguments, manipulation, and tears that threaten to ruin a birthday, anniversary, or wedding day.

So how do we honor people? Does it depend on the gifts? Decorations? Money spent? We may feel that we’ve given honor when we make a hefty monetary investment in something, while in reality the spirit of honoring is missing. It depends more on meeting the heart needs of the one being honored.

Does the celebration fit their personality or mine (because I’m the one throwing the party)?

Are their important friends the guests, or are the guests ones I’m comfortable with?

Does the gift, no matter how small, show that the birthday girl is truly known and understood and that her desires are considered in the purchase?

Does the party center on the honoree or are big personalities allowed to steal the limelight?

Is the celebration joyful, the conversation uplifting, and the atmosphere heartwarming, or have we allowed things to creep in that shouldn’t, like snide remarks, negativity, and cruel pranks that may wound a person (all in the name of fun of course – but at whose expense)?

Does the person know that they are honored and valued year ’round as well as on their day?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have an example of how to love and honor others well, Father God loves and honors each of us individually. When we are with Him we have His sole attention. We are loved unconditionally and accepted and valued for who we are, not based on expectations of what we can offer. He rejoices over us and even sings over us. We are the apple of His eye! Do we allow the Father to teach us to love and honor others well? And personally, do we sit at the Father’s feet and allow Him to love and honor us well when those around us aren’t able to?

I recall one particularly busy year in our household where my birthday was tucked in as an afterthought during the month of November – a notoriously busy holiday time, when birthdays can be easily overlooked. Not only did family find little time, but my friends were all over-committed as well. That birthday came and went as a typical Tuesday might, no special calls, meal, party or presents. Having cake together got pushed to the next weekend, but THIS was my birthday!

I was feeling a bit blue by the evening, so I took some moments to steal away with the Father. As I prayed (whined to Him) and read His word, my heart began to calm down. I saw in His words to me that I was His cherished child. I saw my uniqueness and value in His plan. I saw that though earthly friends may overlook my day, My Father had not. I lay down that night with tears of gratitude that I was known and loved and honored in My Father’s eyes.

If you find yourself forgotten on a special day, go to The One who loves you most. And as you celebrate a special day with those dear to you or casual friends, seek to find ways to let them see that they are known, cherished, and valued. It doesn’t always take fanfare – though that can be nice. Even a single, store-bought cupcake or a heartfelt note can show genuine honor and bless a person’s heart.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 30:30-31

Make ‘Em A Meal

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Several weeks ago I took sick. I’d gone to bed normally and woke up in the dark-thirty hours of the morning with an appendix gone bad. The bad appendix earned itself a not so endearing name and it made me sick as could be. I was amazed that something so small and insignificant could take something so strong and big down in a matter of hours. One of the side effects of the sickness was that unbeknownst to me it would lock my words away. They were held captive in some unknown place. My words were few and far between, my verbal communication was grunts mostly, and the written communication was nonexistent. The words had vanished overnight and I found myself distraught for more reasons than just an infected abdomen. A week post-op I found myself still silent, waiting for the words to return, my friends recognized my paralysis pertaining to life as usual and quickly developed a rotating meal schedule. Had it not been for this meal provision the Martins would have had to solely rely on subpar takeout and instant noodles. 

It was on the night of the final “meal night” that I received an unexpected gift.

But first some history. Many years ago prior to Wednesday night service at the church house an optional meal was provided. The gentleman who spearheaded a team of volunteers who cooked and prepared meals for the masses of GFBC was named Freddie. He was a genuinely good man and he loved people through food. The meals were never fancy but they were delicious and for the weary mama I was with three babies under five they were a midweek reprieve. Our weekly routine revolved around those midweek meals. Countless times I crammed tiny frames into high chairs or sat with my foot on an adjacent chrome and plastic chair to inhibit its tipping out of its clumsy occupant. I scrubbed faces and hands prior to Awanas and Veggie Tales, and I fought sleep many a Wednesday night while the preacher man spoke. Eventually the Wednesday night meals would cease, time would march on, and that sweet man would enter Heaven leaving behind his precious widow. 

Present day,  There is not a week now that I do not move those same chairs, long since transported to new classrooms and and silent observers of ministry. But there isn’t a time that I don’t wonder if at what time in my history I possibly encountered them. I often wonder if those chairs were a talking record keeper if they would stop me and say, …

“Do you remember the time you sat in me and ate that Wednesday meal and cried because you were so very tired?” Or “Remember back then how much you stressed over such simple and small things? Things not of eternity and so inconsequential that you don’t even remember them now?” Or “Hey you see that dried bit of ketchup on my underside? That was placed there by your screaming toddler whose inability to effectively communicate rendered him screaming, ketchup covered and frustrated? Yet now, he communicates clearly and while he is still sometimes ketchup covered at meal times, he is a reminder that God is a promise keeper.” 

That sweet widow of Freddie is my friend Neanie and she was the caboose of that meal train, post appendix. 

As we opened our dinner she had sent our way, complete with not one but two desserts because if you know you know! Freddie and Neanie cake is manna from Heaven and Neanie’s banana pudding is absolutely amazing! As I opened and plated that meal I immediately was transported backwards in time as I recollected those Wednesday night meals and I thought to myself, “The spirit of Freddie lives on!” Simply put it was a reminder to love them with food. I ate that dinner and tears filled my eyes because in that remembering and reminiscing a story was born and the words were suddenly unlocked and made their way to the surface and the healing and wholeness began to take shape. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought how a simple act, the provision of dinner did more that day than just provide supper, it was a tangible act of love and mercy and provision in more ways than just the obvious. It was a tool of remembering much like that meal with the King prior to His crucifixion. I felt sure much like He said, “Do this in remembrance of me” the King was glorified by that sacrificial act of love between His people and the reminder to do more things like make ‘em a meal in remembrance of Him and His sacrificial love.

When Anger Flares

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Confession: I like to get really angry and burst out in harsh words and accusations. There. I said it. Not the kind of thing a small group leader at church is expected to say, but it’s real. It may sound peculiar to you, so let me explain.

When a person (me) (or you) is emotional, discouraged, or worried, those emotions tend to wrap around us like vines, tying us up in knots and making us feel weak and helpless. We don’t really like feeling weak. Anger on the other hand feels powerful. We feel dominant, in control, and like we are actually dong something that will cause a reaction and maybe make an impact in our trying situation. Instead of wallowing in our fear and doubts with nothing happening, we humans are prone to jump anger. It makes us feel better… or at least like we are in control.

Lashing out in anger also gives us a way to release our pent up frustrations similar to the way a safety valve on a large piece of industrial equipment vents off built up steam pressure to preserve the machinery. And while that may feel good in the moment to us, the people receiving our fury have feelings that are negatively affected. Machinery has the advantage here, that piece of equipment feeling the steam vented off has no feelings.

When we feel trapped in our negative emotions it seems our only two choices are either to wallow in our desperate feelings or to blow up and wound others with our angry words. We often choose self-preservation over benevolent actions in these situations.

But there is a third option. We can turn to the Father and pour out our hearts to Him, digging into His word for comfort and direction and a solution. We can fall to our knees and pray, intimately sharing with Him the depth of our despair (which of course He already knows, but it is good for us to express). We can grasp the handholds of scripture that keep us from slipping into either worry or anger, and hold onto those passages as lifelines to get us through the whiteout we seem lost in. Praying those scriptures, repeating them to ourselves minute by minute during our struggle will bring sanity and calm and eventually hope.

So if you find yourself in the blazing heat of an emotional conflagration, if anger sizzles just beneath the surface and you fear it will flare into a wildfire in a heartbeat, step away. God outside, to your room, your office, or your car. Cry out to God. Pour out your anger, fear and the depths of how your feel misunderstood, unloved, and so alone. Grab hold of a scripture from your Bible of your phone – the Word is never out of our reach these days. Hang onto these lifelines of prayer and the Word. The father will get you through. You don’t have to choose anger.

“For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.” Proverbs 30:33

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9

The Lost Bracelet

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My daughter and I have loved collecting Pandora charms for our bracelets. It was always fun to go shopping at our favorite jewelry store to pick out charms that we wanted to add to our bracelets. My bracelet is more of a family event bracelet with charms that were engraved with names of family members and charms representing certain important days. My daughter’s bracelet was full of family events, Disney charms, and charms for her favorite sports team. We had talked about dividing her bracelet into two or maybe three bracelets so it would not be so full.

I remember the day that she told me she had lost her bracelet. She could not remember the last time she wore it. She just knew it was gone. She had looked everywhere. Then, we looked everywhere, again. She had always taken such good care of her jewelry. Neither of use could think of anywhere else to look. She was so devastated. I just thought it was gone and had even considered starting her over with a new bracelet. Some of the charms would be discontinued but she could make new memories. The jewelry store that engraved the names on the charms no longer carries Pandora but I had considered giving her my engraved charms.

My daughter is in the process of moving. All of the furniture has been moved but she was still working on the closets. I received a phone call yesterday from my granddaughter. With an excited voice she said, “Mommy found her bracelet!” I asked if it was her Pandora bracelet and she had to ask her mother. She came back and said, “Yes!” My granddaughter proceeded to tell me that it was in a purse on the shelf in the closet. My daughter took over the phone call and told me how it was in a small zipper purse inside of a larger purse on the top shelf of her closet. What amazing news. All of her memories that were represented by charms were safe. We were both beyond excited.

With all of the things going on in the world, a bracelet is not going to solve the problems of the world but it was a joy for this family. 

One of my favorite parables in the New Testament is about a woman who searched for a lost coin. This coin may have been part of her dowry or her family’s savings. What is important in the story is the urgency of the search. 

Luke 15:8-10 ESV “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’”

When she found the coin, she invited her friends and neighbors to celebrate with her. I have not enjoyed wearing my bracelet because my daughter could not wear hers. I think I need to celebrate by buying a Pandora charm or a new bracelet for my daughter to divide her bracelet. What joy we will have in wearing our bracelets and celebrating that she found her bracelet.

Our Father In Heaven…

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“This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Matthew 6:9-13

Prayer. So simple yet so powerful. So incomprehensible. So great a gift to us from our Father God. He invites us, His creation, to enter into an intimate relationship with Him. He gives us freedom to come to Him and dialog with Him and speak what’s on our minds and in our hearts. Yahweh Himself. The King of the Universe!

Do we avail ourselves of this great blessing of conversation and relationship? Or do we approach prayer casually as we do a jotted down grocery list on a scrap of paper?

Do we pray daily, freely, and with a purpose to our prayers that honors God? Or do we tip our hat to God with a memorized blessing or nighttime prayer as we doze off?

Do we say we will pray for someone, but that’s as far as it goes, just empty promises? Or do we hold counsel with our Creator, baring our heart to Him and listening for His gentle leading and correction?

Do we pray all? Anything other than prayers for rescue and help?

Do we turn to God in prayer for decisions we need to make? For help facing temptations? For direction? Do we ever quit talking and simply listen to the Father?

Where do you find yourself in that broad spectrum of people who say they pray? Contemplate that. Be honest with yourself and the Father.

When I was younger I tended to base my prayers on my feelings too much. I remember telling someone that I didn’t “feel like” my prayers were getting any higher than the ceiling. I remember thinking that surely I wasn’t a “good enough” Christian for God to answer my prayers. I remember thinking that God hadn’t answered my prayer when He answered it in a way I didn’t like. Like all people, I am still growing in my faith – we always will be – so today I’m learning to be patient and not give up in prayer when I’ve waited on God a week, a month, a year,… or for me, 19 years and counting. Anybody with me?

So where ever you find yourself to be in your prayer life, let me give you some reminders about prayer from God’s Word.

“…Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:8 – He knows.

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 – Take private time away to pray.

“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:4 – Wait on His answer.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 – Pray when you are tempted.

“But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 8:6 – When you are displeased or dissatisfied – pray!

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7 – Pray for your city.

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 – God will listen. Seek Him and find Him.

“Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.”” Daniel 6:13 – Pray often.

“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong.” Daniel 9:3-5 – Confess your sin to God in prayer.

“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22 – Believe and receive.

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'” Matthew 26:39 – Ask God for whatever you choose to, but always be willing to accept His will whatever that answer may be.

“He [Jesus] went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done'” Matthew 26:42 – Ask God to take away the hard things. Accept His will.

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them.” Mark 11:25 – Forgive others before you come to God in prayer.

“But I have prayed for you, Simon.” Luke 22:32 – Pray for others.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 – Devote yourself to prayer.

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Pray for others (missionaries and ministers) who share the Gospel.

“Pray continually.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Duh!

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2 – Pray for all people, especially those in authority over you.

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them ” James 5:14 – Pray for the sick.

The bottom line – Just pray!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu

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Did you find yourself singing this song from The Sound of Music as you read that? Me too! It causes me to recall the children singing and the whole movie summed up in a few seconds. That movie is a family favorite, and the charming song of farewell warms our hearts.

But goodbyes are rarely heart-warming. Many of us struggle to some degree with those big farewells: kids moving hours away into a college dorm, the husband in his uniform being deployed, grandkids heading back to their home hundreds of miles away with no idea when they may return, a family member with a new job moving to another country. Even things like aging parents moving out of the generational family home and into an assisted living, severe illness, abuse, or addicted family members can cause us to have to say goodbye to memories, our way of life, or our expectations of what we thought would be.

How do we handle these emotional transitions?

If we know Jesus and trust that God is in control of our lives it helps make these times easier. What do we need to keep in mind?

  1. God’s plan for His world includes each of us. He manages the world and allows the people, places, and circumstances of our lives to carry out His plans, not just for us but for others we impact. This goodbye is for purpose.
  2. When bad things happen to us we keep in mind that walking with the Lord does not guarantee an easy journey. Joni Erickson Tada has said, “God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.” We must choose to walk through it with our eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-4)
  3. God loves us and has promised to be our strength and our refuge. (Psalm 46:1) When we have said “So long” to a family member, we put them into God’s hands and trust His love and provision for them and for us. We can run to Him in our tears and loneliness to find comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
  4. Life is an adventure! God is taking us on this great adventure to new lands or new situations. Some may be scary. Some will delight us. Some may stir up doubt and worry. But just like riding a canoe down a flooding river, we hang on, paddle like mad and trust Him to get us through. When we come out on the other side we will be exhilarated with the thrill of it all, and boy will we have a story to tell! (Isaiah 43:2) Embrace your adventure!
  5. Faith triumphs over fear, worry, or loneliness. When the time comes to say goodbye, those negative feelings may overwhelm us. It is usually an attack on our heart by the enemy. We must prepare in advance for battle by staying in God’s Word and must oodbyechoose to trust God every minute, then we set our thoughts on the proper things to make it through the lonely days. (Philippians 4:8) Set your mind on the things of the Father.

I don’t know what “Adieu” you have said recently or what “Goodbye” is looming for you in the near future, but I know that we have a Father who loves you. He is walking through this time with you, He has a purpose in your situation. Cling to Him, the One who will NEVER leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) There are no Goodbyes in Him.

You Are Loved!

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Here it is again – the one day out of the three hundred sixty-five that many people seem to dread – Valentine’s Day. It stirs up regret of what was or longing of what has yet to come. It seems totally focused on Eros – that romantic, physical love. And while romantic love is nice, there are so many other aspects of love that are so much more fulfilling and rewarding: friendship, nurturing, that brotherly/sisterly love, and most of all God’s perfect agape love.

God’s true love is precious beyond imagination. With Him you are loved no matter what you’ve done and NOT because of what you’ve done. But because you are His beloved creation made in His image. God loves you and nothing you do will change His great love for you! He knows you! You are HIs, Precious One!

You don’t have to measure up. Just as you are – that’s the girl He loves, “warts and all” as my grandmom used to say.

So … Be kind to yourself. In fact, be as kind to the girl in the mirror as you are to your best friend. you wouldn’t shame her or guilt her or point out all her negative attributes or call her “Stupid.” So show love to yourself as much as you do to others. Why?

Well here are some thoughts. We all know these famous words of Jesus on love from the book of Matthew:

Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”

Matthew 22:37-39

We are told to, first, love God, but also to love others. There is a third person to love in these verses, did you catch it? I’ll give you a minute…

We are to love ourselves! We cannot genuinely love others well until we learn to truly love ourselves with all our failings. So here’s the process:

  1. Love God. His love is unconditional and He teaches us how to love.
  2. Love self. Not in a selfish “me first” kind of way, but accepting ourselves the way God has made us and not overdoing our focus on our achievements or our failings, but having a correct view of ourselves, and loving who we are because we are His. (Romans 12:3)
  3. Love others. Out of the abundance of love God has for the world, he enables us to love, genuinely love, even those that are hard to love.

So your challenge today is to accept God’s love for you, love yourself, and spread that love to those you encounter. Here’s a song that will help heal a wounded, unloved heart. Know today that I love you and better than that, God loves you.

You Are Loved by Ellie Holcomb

Never Too Old

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You’re never too old for an ice cream cone, a Bugs Bunny cartoon, “Jesus Loves Me,” to have a dream of a place you want to go, or to learn something new. But it’s funny that there are some things that, according to society’s expectations at least, we are too old for: “You’re good old to wear that style.” “You’re too old to date him.” “You’re too old to be of any use to God.” None of these are true, but if we don’t stand firm in our convictions and even stand up against those negative whispers in our minds, we may buy into such thoughts and miss something important.

Reading through God’s Word this year it startled me to be reminded of how old Moses was when spoke to Pharaoh and ultimately led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. I ‘m sure I had heard this before, but it never registered with my brain. Moses was eighty years old when he encountered God through the burning bush on the back side of the desert. Eighty! (See Acts 7:23 & 30)

God called Moses to a difficult task. He could have said, “Lord, I’ve already retired. I’m tired. I just want to hang out with my family and not be bothered. That Pharaoh is going to be a headache to deal with.”

But he didn’t.

When God presented him with this daunting assignment, Moses countered that he didn’t feel qualified. He had trouble speaking.

Don’t we do that? “Lord, she is so much more capable of this than me. I’m too _________. I can’t ________. I’ve never _________.” (You fill in the blanks.)

God had a solution for Moses’ problem. He provided Moses’ brother, Aaron, to help him. He provided signs and wonders. God will provide help for us as well.

Are we willing to move beyond our self doubt, trust God’s provision, and say yes as Moses did? Some do. Sometimes. But often we use our excuses as a crutch because we are afraid or tired or insecure or we just selfishly don’t want to bother. “Let someone else do it, Lord. Someone younger.”

The challenge today is to say “Yes” to God. What is He calling on you to do? Teach that Sunday class? Volunteer in a ministry? Mentor a young woman? Go to a foreign country to share the Gospel? (Did you know that retirees being appointed as missionaries abroad is a big thing right now?)

Let us never use the excuse that we are “too old.” God has a good plan to use us for our entire life, no matter how old or young, educated or uneducated, fit or faltering, whole or handicapped, retired or not. He will provide others to walk alongside and help you. And He will do amazing wonders on your behalf as well.

White as Snow

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Though your sins are as scarlet, They shall become as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.

Isaiah 1:18

A recent trip through the mountains became a sermon God preached to me as we drove.

The night before, snow fell steadily along parts of our scheduled route. The morning of the trip dawned sunny but frigid. As we headed into the snow laden territory we were cautiously optimistic about road conditions and thrilled to get a chance for our Southern souls to experience snow.

Within an hour of starting out we encountered patches of “a dusting of snow” here and there. Even that is enough to excite an Alabama girl. By lunch the shady side of the road had an inch or two, and though the sunny side was khaki-colored, dead, winter grass the excitement was mounting in the car. Eventually, the last few hours gave us our hearts’ desire, inches of white covered every hill and valley, laced the branches of trees, and powdered the mountains in the distance.

With clear roads – thank you very much snowy state, you know how to do it – and praise music filling the car, my heart soared! As white as snow! That was the whitest white, reflecting every bit of sunlight that hit it on that clear sunny day.

Though MY sins are as scarlet they shall become as white as snow…

The burning red of my anger and jealousy – made white!

All I could manage was trying to dust the the dirty landscape of my life with white.

The crimson of my selfish pride – made white!

My spotty cover up of sin with legalistic behavior in random places, useless.

The blood red depth of the evil thoughts and intents of my mind – made white!

Man-made snow, false whiteness, an attempt to appear pure myself.

The filthy, black soil of my sinful heart – made white!

All human attempts prove useless in cleansing and purifying.

I couldn’t make myself white any more than I could make snow. Left to my own means, I wallow in the devastation of my sin.

However, there is a solution – a Savior. I can place myself in the hands of the one who can make me white as snow, the one Who bled crimson blood to cover the depths of my sin, the purest of pure sacrificial Lamb Who paid the price for my failings. Thank you Lord for restoration, for giving us purity where we have been impure, and for scrubbing this dirt-dweller up to the brightest, cleanest white – whiter than snow! My life is in Your hands.

Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings. Wash me thoroughly from my guilt
And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my wrongdoings, and my sin is constantly before me. Psalm 51:1-3