Diamond Dust Morning

Luke 21:34 (New Living Translation)
34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled... by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,
The sun rose from its hiding place behind the stand of maples on the hill in glorious splendour this morning. This tiny corner of the world was newly covered in a deep layer of diamond dust snow, and light bounced off light and dazzled my eyes as I gazed at the view from my kitchen window. A multicoloured halo encircled the sun--"sun dogs"-- rainbow light shafts caused by ice crystals in the winter air. Long grey shadow fingers crept over the sparkling snow from the maple forest.

Later on Molson the golden retriever played in the snow with our granddaughters Tiffany-Amber and Victoria and was the epitome of joyful exuberance--now prancing in the snow, now digging his nose deep in the snow and tossing it in the air, now grabbing the string of the toboggan and tugging it as if to help it along--the ideal childhood playmate.

Molson went for a run through the snow in the Simcoe forest a few days ago with Brenda and a friend and her dogs--who happen to be his grandfather, Rourke, and uncle, Gillie. As the younger dogs romped in the snow, the older dog, Rourke, walked sedately along the trail, but a couple of days later, his owner found that he had a nasty thorn imbedded, which she had to take out. Brenda mentioned that she always brushes Molson on returning from a walk and always finds burrs and twiglets and the debris of the trail in his coat as she brushes it.

The verses from Luke 8:14 and 21:24 also talk about "debris of the trail," that we can pick up. Jesus said that the power of his word in our lives can be choked out by the thorns, which stand for the cares of this life--the things that distract us and dull our hearts to what is important, true and really matters.

Brenda's brushing of Molson, that gently removes the harvest that he brings home in his coat, is like what Jesus did when he washed the disciples feet and said to them that they needed to be washed by him if they were to belong to him (John 13:6-10).

Peter impetuously said, "Then wash all of me," but Jesus said that once we have bathed (symbolizing the cleansing of salvation through faith in him) it is only the feet that need to be washed.

We daily walk the trail of this world and gather thorns and briars that distract and dull our hearts to him. As we come into his presence he gently washes us clean, brushing away the debris, restoring our peace and disentangling us from the traps that the enemy has laid to ensnare our hearts.


Luke 8:14 (New International Version)
14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Comments

Dave Hingsburger said…
Belinda, reading your post brought back so many memories. Eric, our dog, used to love the winter. It was his season. He, like Molson, would bury his face in the snow and roll round in it. Approached winter like children approach a carnival - there was just never 'enough' of him to enjoy all of winter. Like you I would think about God when watching Eric, and I realized that there was just never 'enough' of me to enjoy all that God had made - this is what convinced me of the existance of a place called heaven --
7:11 AM
Anonymous said…
Dear Bel- Beautiful. Awesome. Sweetly exhilarating and so lovely.Every word. From the first to the last.Thank-you.Poppy
9:15 AM
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