What color is your snow?

Posted by Heather Conrad at 8:18 PM

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Last Monday, I found myself gazing out my kitchen window as I washed up a few breakfast dishes, simply mesmerized by the white stuff. At the moment, it looked as if someone had taken a tube of glitter and was sprinkling it through the air. As I watched, a memory came to mind. I recalled a winter activity I remember enjoying in preschool (I have an interesting memory, I know). I suggested it to the kids and they seemed thrilled to bundle up to paint. Yep, paint.

Simple activity, tons of fun. All you need is a squirt bottle (whatever you have laying around, old dish soap containers work well too), water, and some dye. Fill-er up with water and their choice of color, and let em scamper out into the white canvas. Austin, choosing blue of course, wrote words with his bottle. Emma liked making shapes, and Brynn, well she liked just squirting it all in one place. When empty, simply refill, and commence painting. I enjoyed being the designated water filler and picture taker (from my doorway, in my slippers). I highly recommend this fun, and free, activity.

And, speaking of snow, I just wanted to share a fun bit of perspective that I heard from the lips of our three year old the other day as we headed into preschool. She says, "Mom, this snow is clean. But Mom, not this snow, it's bery, bery dirty." I found myself smiling, just stopping short of the dissertation on the cleanliness of all snow, and heard myself say, "It certainly looks that way doesn't it sweetheart."

Looks, from the outside anyway, can be deceiving can't they? What appears, clean, pure, and white as snow, when scooped up, taken inside, and actually melted, shows it true make-up of pretty dirty water. Let me ask you, what is the condition of our hearts today?

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Lord, thank you today for the joy of children, the joy of wonder, and the joy of creating with nothing but some colored water. Thank you for the reminder of how you spilled your crimson blood in love for me, so that I may be white as snow. Help me to check my heart throughout the day - to confess when I need to, to ask forgiveness when I need to, to lift my hands and voice in praise more often than not. To you be the glory, now and forevermore.

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