God loves doing laundry: Washing us white as snow

A beautiful snowfall marked the end of our half day and the start of Thanksgiving break.  It was perfect and it made me so happy!  As we walked, my daughter asked me, "Mommy, can I catch some snowflakes on my tongue?"  Well...that one was easy-peasy.  "Of course, darlin'!"...so I joined her!  To my knowledge, no one has ever croaked, vomited or ended up with a serious illness for eating snow.  I am still here on earth as proof of that fact.

Snow is the one thing that definitely brings out my inner child.  I remember spending endless hours playing in the snow until I could no longer feel my fingers or toes.  That was my cue that it was time to go inside...only to change into dry clothes, drink some of Mom's homemade hot chocolate and then flop down on the floor by our awesome wood-burning fireplace for the best nap ever!

I have hundreds of memories of times playing in the snow with friends.  Building huge igloos, making the fattest snowmen, ice skating for hours at Central park (totally convinced that I would be the next Dorothy Hamill...obviously that didn't happen), sledding/tobogganing at the golf course-belly laughing until it hurt, sledding on cafeteria trays in college, downright mean snowball fights, downhill skiing until my "career" ended in 1987 with a serious knee injury, cross country skiing, making perfect snow angels...these are just a few of those memories.  And, last but not least, I love to walk in in the snow...especially during snowstorms; it is an amazing, peaceful sound.  Have you ever listened to snow falling before?  If not, you should.  Listen next time.  Just in case you ever wonder, God had a purpose in that plan too.

I think about how God washes me whiter than snow...I am so thankful for His grace.  Psalm 51 (MSG) reads:  "Generous in love-God, give grace!  Huge in mercy-wipe out my bad record.  Scrub away my guilt, soak my sins in your laundry.  I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down.  You're the One I have violated, and You've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil.  You have all the facts before You; whatever You decide for me is fair.  I've been out of step with You for a long time...what You are after is Truth from the inside out, enter me, then conceive a new, true life.  Soak me in Your laundry and I'll come out clean; scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life...make a fresh start in me...bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!"

So with every new snow, I put my face to the skies and imagine God washing me clean, making me white as snow and giving me a fresh start...every time.  Thankfully, He never gets tired of doing laundry.