PEACE OF A SNOW GLOBE
PEACE OF A SNOWGLOBE
The year my husband passed away; my daughter gave our family each a snow globe. It contains a picture of him dressed as Santa. My husband loved to decorate for the holidays. He played Santa at a local store and at many Boy Scout functions around the holidays. He was a mailman and enjoyed so much delivering packages and cards during this time of year, because he knew how much joy they brought to people. He has been gone 13 years this last October. Every year I get that snow globe out and shake it, tears flow from my eyes. Memories swirl around my heart, just like it is swirling around inside the globe around his picture. But yet when that “snow” swirls around, somehow, it helps bring me peace. How can that be? Those flakes that are floating and swirling around also remind me of hard times-of sad times-stressful times. Times when I felt like I was being tossed around like those little representations of snow. But then I bring my mind and focus once again to his picture and the joy playing Santa brought him. The joy he felt delivering those packages to the people on his mail route and that, gives me peace in my heart!
You are wondering what the point of this blog is going to be. Why is my mind going down this path of thought. Let’s think for a little bit of when I shook that globe and the feelings it brought to my heart.
- Snow globes have so many different scenes in them. Most have a representation of what or where you have been or visited. We buy them when we go on vacation. We buy them during the holidays to bring us joy. The scene becomes alive when we shake it and watch the “snow” floating. It takes us back to a time of traveling or makes us joyful with the scene depicted. Remembering those times of joy, is like when the Bible Christians remembered their forefathers. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets…” Hebrews 1:1.
- That swirling “snow” reminds me of our lives. I can see through that “snow” and see trials-heartache-busyness and stress. We are so distracted by the reality of life. We can’t focus on what is important. We feel like we can’t even stop long enough to just breath. But then that “snow” holding us captive, settles and we once again can see what is truly important to us. We have time to stop and reflect. Even when our “globe” of life shakes up and once again blurs our vision, we can still find peace because we have the hope of a future in heaven one day. Those “flakes” can still be beautiful when they are floating around because we know that God allows those times to strengthen us-to help us remember what is truly important in our lives. “My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2
- Have you ever wondered why snow is white? What do you think of when you look out your window and see those beautiful white flakes falling from the sky and the beautiful blanket it leaves on the bushes, trees and ground. It is clean and pure. Sometime read, Psalm 148. It celebrates creation. Snow being one of them in verse 9. It is pure from heaven. it covers the earth with a covering of white-a cleansing. God tells us in Isaiah 1:18, “…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” There is cleansing power from our sins, just like in the refreshing falling white snow, in our Saviors saving powerful blood! He died on that bloody cross-was buried and then arose so that cleansing can happen! Just like that white snow!
Have you ever noticed that at the end of a holiday movie that the couple kiss and all of a sudden snow falls from the sky. Almost like that kiss produced a spark in the atmosphere to bring on those beautiful flakes! Happiness-peace-joy! A gift of purity from heaven.
Now that I am retired, seeing those snowflakes falling from the sky does not bring on uneasiness of how I am going to get to work. That uneasiness is like those flakes in the snow globe, swirling and dancing obscuring the true focus of that snow globe. In my retirement, I can now look out the window and look at the beauty of that snowfall. I can thank God for that cleansing power that snow brings. I also pray for those who have to get out and go to work or appointments they can’t miss. Remember the cleansing power and beauty of that snow, even when you have to get out in it.
When the “snow” in the globe falls to the bottom, we can once again focus on the object in the globe. In the globe above, it is the memories of my husband. I stop and praise God for the trials-the stress-the love I experienced being married to this “Santa.” You ask, how can I be thankful for all those trials. The answer to that is looking back, I realize God allowed those times so I could learn patience-learn that God had a plan for my future that I could not see at the time-to help strengthen my faith in God because, at times, I felt that God was the only one who knew exactly what I was going through and He had my back! I learned to focus on Him and His strength!
If you happen to have a snow globe, get it out now and shake it. Look at the beauty of that scene while the “snow” is falling. Even when those hard times come, we can still see the beauty of the scene because we know that God has a plan. God NEVER stops loving us, no matter how unfaithful-no matter how pained-no matter how far away we feel from the scene in that snow globe or our God. We can find peace, even in the “blizzards” of this life. Our focus of God, is always there for us during and after the “blizzards” settle down.
Jeremiah 10:23 “O Lord I know the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord…”
Peace of a snow globe! Who would have thought!
Till next time!
Keela
(To all of you who took their time to ponder my blog throughout this year, I thank you for your continued encouragement! May you have a wonderful and blessed holiday and a new year of serving our God and Savior!)