PURE AS SNOW

We had our first snow today for the season. I woke up in the dark at 5:30 to see the flakes drifting down in their easy dance and quickly dressed to take Lulu out for her walk.

There is an unearthly quiet at that hour and especially during winter; nary a car, human or bird to be heard. Just me, Lulu and the almost indiscernible sound of the snow falling on dead leaves, like distant applause from a concert far, far away. 

Later, after breakfast and coffee, that unearthly white winter morning light started to shine through so I went out to capture some of it's beauty in the back yard.

The garden, now sleeping still holds its charms!

And the deck chairs will have to wait till spring!

I'm not a big fan of snow and winter time but the first snow is a magical thing. I woke up to a transformed world. It's like a fresh start, everything wiped clean, all the decay of fall like the mistakes we make, covered over. 

At church, we sang that classic hymn:  "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind but now I see." 

Amazing grace for a fresh start. Amazing grace for a second (or seven hundred) chance. We are graciously offered to be washed clean and made as pure as snow.

This morning, I was gently reminded of this.