Sunday morning I woke up and found it was raining outside.
Good, I thought to myself.
As long as it isn't snowing.
About an hour later I checked outside again and watched as the first white flakes of the season came fluttering down.
For weeks now I have been moaning and groaning about the inevitable day when the first snow would come. It would be cold and wet, I wouldn't be able to wear flip flops any more, etc. I spoke of how I would be happy and content if it only snowed on Thanksgiving, during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's, and on Valentine's Day. Snow at any other time is just a nuisance.
But I have a confession. Watching those first few flakes fall from the sky did not fill me with the dread and unhappiness I have been building up to.
There is something magical about the first snow fall of the year. The cold, bringing back memories of bundling up in layers of clothing to keep in what warmth we carry inside of ourselves. It reminds us of the warmth of home.
The pure white, falling from a dark sky onto ground dirtied by the natural flow of life or from the pollution of a sometimes unforgiving world, reminding us of days gone by when we would fly down snow covered hills, occasionally toppling over as the sled didn't quite make the turn it was supposed to. Days trekking home from school in the snow, pretending you were lost somewhere in the Arctic, or Alaska, or some other snow covered place, trying to get home before it is too late.
As I think of the snow, I cannot help comparing it to the Atonement, and the love our Savior has for us. In a world that is so dirty and polluted, our Savior has provided us with something magical, something that can eliminate the pollution within us. Just as the snow is cold and many people grumble about the trouble it causes, as imperfect human beings we sometimes see repentance and the Atonement as a bad thing in that we do not want to admit just how wrong and out of line with the teachings of Christ we may be. This can be true for not only those who have committed major sins (adultery, murder, etc), but also for those who commit the small, every day sins (lying, holding grudges, etc).
Sometimes we tell ourselves we could enjoy the snow if we just had the proper equipment. If our boots were better or if we had better gloves we would have so much fun. We think back on the days when as children we had no inhibitions about the snow. Heck we would have gone out and rolled around in it with nothing but our pajamas if our mothers and fathers hadn't been so worried about bundling us up.
Likewise, we tell ourselves we are inadequate to partake of the Atonement. We tell ourselves that repentance will never be enough because
we are not enough. This could not be farther from the truth! The Atonement and the process of repentance was put into place
for us, because our Heavenly Father and our Savior
know that we are not perfect, that alone we are not enough. But, with Him and His Atonement, we can, are, and will be enough, so long as we do all we can.
Have you ever noticed when snow has covered everything in sight, not just a little bit, but fully and completely enveloped it, the noises and distractions of the world are muted? There is a calming peace that comes from a world covered in pure, white snow.
I am grateful for small, seemingly insignificant moments that remind me of just how incredible my Heavenly Father and Savior are. I am grateful they love me enough to put into place the things I need to help my return to them.
If you are standing in a world full of pollution, riddled with sin, or even just sprinkled with it, do not despair! Embrace the cleansing purity of the snow that is our Savior's Atonement. I promise you, you will never go wrong if you do! And just as the snow brings to our busy and bustling world a tender peace and quiet, I testify that the Atonement will do the same for you in your personal life.
Have a fabulous day everyone!
 |
| First Snow. :) |
