Snow White, Psalm 19:1

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

For those that know me, you know winter has been my least favorite season. Growing up in Ohio, I'm no stranger to cold temperatures and snow.  It took me a long time to realize that not everyone is "blessed" with snow.  Oh how I wished and wished that I had been so fortunate.  Give me the warmth of the sunshine and warm temperatures anytime over the cold dreary days of an Ohio winter.  Sigh... why o' why do we have to have four seasons?  Winter to me was a time of shutting down, piling on warm layers of clothing, eating more than I should, moving around less than I should and overall just a cloud of sadness covering me.  I just could never figure out why every winter I became ready to become a bear versus a human...afterall; hibernation sure sounded good to me on those cold nights! 

Something changed this year though, still not a big winter fan, but I guess you can say I've begun to appreciate what winter has to offer.  This winter we were in awe of some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets backed against a blanket of white snow.  Vivid oranges, purples, reds and yellows bursting across the sky.  People started snapping pictures of God's incredible artwork and posting their shots all over Facebook.  It reminded me of Psalm 19:1... "the skies proclaim the work of his hands."  WOW, all of nature sings of the glory of God.

Let's not forget the snow... oh my goodness, so white, so pure, so breathtaking as it glistened on the tree branches and bushes across the lawns. For some reason, I took the time this year to really look at the different snow flakes... how often have I taken for granted the uniqueness of a single fallen flake, handcrafted by God himself?  "The heavens declare the glory of God".  We seemed to have had a number of times this year that we had strangely large flakes, much larger than I have ever seen before (perhaps because I wasn't looking).  The design work in each, how could something so small be so detailed and create such beauty? 

The more I saw winter for the beauty that it brought, far different than any other season for me, the more I began thanking God for four seasons.  I thank him that he sees fit to give us beauty in all seasons and creates a uniqueness in nature that none can duplicate.  As many pictures as I saw this past winter of the sunsets or the trees covered in the beautiful white snow, none of them could compare to the real thing... standing with the slight sting of the crisp cold air against my face before God's creation.  A creation he gave us as a precious gift.  God could have chosen to leave us at just a single season, but instead he gave us four.  He gave us a season to plant, to grow, to harvest and to rest.  God knew as he formed creation that we'd need these seasons in our life.  Some places don't get to see the vast differences of weather, but they still have seasons... seasons come no matter how they look.

I think I've begun to see myself as a snowflake of sorts.  Not because I'm flaky (I probably am to some degree) but because I am a unique work done by the creator's hand.  I am a creation so small, so detailed by my very genetic design.  Look at all that it takes to form a single human being, let alone take into account the twins, triplets, etc. born that although look so much alike, are so very unique and detailed by the artist of all creation.  Nature in itself can cause me to stand still and slightly take my breath away as it surrounds me with all the glory of God's works. 

What do you need to see this season?  Have you, like me, been so focused on the "ugly" of a season of life that you failed to stop and recognize the work of God's hands?  Have you recognized how very small you are in this vast universe and yet, how very important every unique detail of you matters to God?  You are one of God's most beloved creations.  He loves us enough to give us four seasons; a time to plant, grow, harvest and rest.  How blessed are we that we have winter; a time to rest.  How blessed are we to have such an Awesome God?

Under His Wings,
Heather

Doormat; Micah 6:8

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

I love this scripture, have from the moment I read it for the first time.  But what does it mean?  Does it mean that we walk through life so humbled that we allow ourselves to be treated like doormats, something that others simply wipe their feet on?  No... such a misunderstanding and intentional twisting of the word in my opinion of how Christians are to behave.  Are we to be humble, absolutely.  Are we to love mercy and to act just... you betcha... but it doesn't tell us that we are to be doormats in this life.  God never intended for us to be abused or taken advantage of by others.

I asked my girlfriend a month or so ago why is it so hard to be honest sometimes when the truth needs to be said?"  She replied, "because we never want to hurt anyone's feelings".  She was right, we don't.  I think we are so sensitive sometimes to hurting someone's feelings that we allow ourselves to become victims.  Micah 6:8  says for us to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with God.  But in Proverbs 28:1 it talks about the righteous being bold as lions.  Hard to find that line isn't it?  To be bold yet humble.  How do you think that's possible?

There is only one way to be both humble and bold.  We are to be bold in HIS spirit and humble in our flesh.  Daily we die to the flesh and walk in the holy spirit, or at least that should be our heart's desire.  Our flesh-man can sometimes be pretty powerful.  Our egos, our pride our determination to be heard and to matter in this world can sometimes override what our spirit-man knows is just and true.  But again the word tells us to be bold in our faith and in our speaking of the gospel of Christ. 

How do we display righteous boldness without coming across as arrogant and uncaring?  How do we stand firm in what we believe without cutting down another in what could be perceived as a shortcoming or fault?  It is not our place to judge or condemn... we are told to love, period, end of story.  Again, that fine line of being the doormat to treating another as a doormat.  I know that I have so much work that God still needs to do in my own heart that I don't have time to criticize or belittle another.  I am so far from being perfect but I am precious to my Heavenly Father and for that I can never allow myself to be a doormat in this life.  You and I are his beloved children who are to walk boldly in the spirit of the one who created us and yet walk humbly in knowing we are still a work in progress.

There is much work to be done in this life, reaching and feeding God's sheep.  We can't continue to be timid in our service if we are expecting to hear Well Done at the end of our journey.  God is counting on you to reach the one he's called you to reach.  That may call you to be bold in your testimony and share with someone about your relationship with Christ.  Sitting on the sidelines, filling the imprint of where you sit each week in your church service, checking off the checklist of "duties" of being a Christian isn't being bold...it's being a doormat because those things are just as effective as lying in front of a door allowing people to come along and wipe their feet because you cannot stand for what you believe boldly.  Don't be a doormat but walk boldly in faith and humbly in spirit along with our Jesus spreading the word, breathing life into all that surrounds you.

Are you being a doormat?  Are you treating someone as a doormat in this life?  Are you just, showing mercy and not condemnation?  Are you walking humbly yet boldly within the Holy Spirit?  Be bold yet just and merciful as your Father in Heaven shows you.

Under His Wings,
Heather