I’m……. praying for a WHITE CHRISTmas
Not for the beauty of frozen snowflakes transforming the earth-
rather, I’m praying God’s glorious blanket of white righteousness covers our messy, dirty, broken lives.
Jeff and I grew up in the same little town in Illinois. The candlelight service at midnight on Christmas Eve is one of our most magical memories. I want to share a story our Pastor shared with us- many years ago ;).
It was a cold, overcast day when a woman began the arduous task of hand washing her sheets. With diligence, she scrubbed and rinsed her white bed sheets until they boasted pristine cleanliness. She pinned them to the clothesline and proudly admired the results of her labor.
A cold front from the mountains moved in and made it impossible for the sheets to dry by evening time. The woman left them on the line to dry overnight. When she awoke the next morning, she was startled to see her beautiful sheets now looked dingy and dirty.
“How did my sheets become so dirty? They look positively awful!”
During the night, a fresh blanket of snow had fallen on the near mountains. The day before, when it had been a gray overcast day, her sheets had seemed to be dazzling white.
Now the backdrop for her sheets was the dazzling white snow upon the nearby mountains. Compared to their brilliance- her sheets looked grimy and gray!
The Lord spoke to her heart- “When you compare yourselves to others, you think you are clean and white. But if you compare yourself to my Son’s brilliance and purity, you’ll see how dilapidated and dirty you really are. You can never be clean by your own works. You need me to wash you as white as snow.”
[Tweet “Ask of me- I will take your sins away and make you as white as snow. #CHRISTmas”]
His greatest gift to us is a forever White Christmas!
There is nothing we can do to make our lives right- so peace- be still– Rest in the Lord and His goodness.
There is no way we can be good enough- so peace-be still- let His righteousness reign triumphant in our lives.
There is no way we can clean ourselves up- so peace- be still- let Him wash our sins away and make us white as snow.
Praying you have a blessed White CHRISTmas this year!
Thank you for sharing the journey with me!
Surprising Treasure: Though our sins be as scarlet- He has washed us white as snow!
You Gotta Take a Minute to listen to this great song- by Newsong
Thank YOU for encouraging all of us on our journey home. I sure appreciate your “so, peace be still” statements! You remind me of one of my most favorite gospel songs: “I am covered over with the robe of righteousness.” ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1rptZB0ydQ ) Thank you for being such a good uplifter. 🙂
Love you so much Edy- may God’s peace and joy surround and fill you and yours- every day of the year, but especially this Christmas! hugs my sweet sister.
The Lord bless you all with the “whitest” Christmas, ever! Big hugs and love, Edy
I remember well that story–Rev. Dick Garabrandt told it. It is the gospel! Christmas Eve in McLean United Methodist Church. Beautiful. Meaningful. Life-changing in every way. Most Christmas Eve’s I walked to worship with snow and ice crunching under my feet.
You make me want to wish a white Christmas too. I love this. May He indeed wash us clean. 🙂
Happy Christmas to you and your lovely clan.
Thank you Lux! I love this analogy of snow. How beautiful everything is with a fresh blanket of snow- and yet within a day or two the dirt and grime begin to appear again. It reminds me of how continually we need His fresh gift of grace to cover our sins. Blessings and have a beautiful Christmas to you and all of yours!
Christmas Eve candlelight service is my favorite Christmas memory. One special time was about a month after asking Christ to be Lord of my life. When we walked out of worship there was a fresh snow covering the ground and still snowing. It was confirmation that I had been washed whiter thàn snow.
What wonderful days those were! The Lord is good! It was so great to get your Christmas letter (I’ve given up trying the last few years) but I so enjoy reading how everyone is doing! Hugs and blessings- and oh, how I treasure the memories of our growing up years! 🙂
Beautiful parallel, my friend! I love it. And I loved seeing the wedding pictures.
Merry Merry Christmas!
xoxoxoxox
Merry, white Christmas to you and yours too Julie. Thanks for stopping by!
What a great reason for wanting a white christmas. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this post.
Thanks Diana, for taking the time during the business to stop by and comment- hugs and blessings!
Isaiah 64:6 uses the reference to our good works as filthy rags and that’s what this post made me think of. We do need to just be still and have peace. Thank you for the beautiful encouragement! Many blessings to you and your family in the New Year! #bloggercaregroup
I love that scripture- we are so unclean- we can’t even begin to realize the purity He wants to cover us with! Blessings Kelly! Thanks for stopping by!
Cindy, thank you for this beautiful reminder of where our true peace lies. Nothing brings out my performance & perfectionism quite like the outward preparations for this celebration. Yet my struggling with having things just right, good enough, and cleaned up ends up being my best inward preparation when I realize it isn’t really what is most important. Yes, I too am praying for a white Christmas! A blessed Christmas to you & yours!
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by and share, Cecilia! I think women, in particular, struggle to balance outward beauty and “perfectionism” with inward preparation. May the Lord draw us into His sweet presence and let His Spirit flow through us in all of our preparations! <3 hugs to you and your family!