FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

Several years ago after a rather harsh winter when Arlena and I had to shovel snow one too many times, she told me that it was time to purchase a snow blower. So I went to the local Sears and purchased one that seemed to fit our needs. Time would tell if I made the correct choice as I only purchased it post-winter when it was on sale because Sears wanted to clear space for summer merchandise.

It’s not that we did not like the snow. I actually love it, mostly, to be sure, more from a theological perspective than anything else. I love the changes of the season. Barren but beautiful winter with everything covered in white is a sight to behold: God in all God’s glory! But even more, winter brings spring and spring brings resurrection, new life, a reminder that there is always resurrection. No matter how bleak the winter or life itself; no matter how deep the snow or the mess in which we find ourselves,  somehow in some way, with God’s help, we will plow our way through and find resurrection.

It’s not that we do not like shoveling snow either. We both love it. Great cardio workouts. As a result, in spite of all the now the past three winters and all the snow that has fallen so far this winter, the snow plow remains safe and dry in our shed. It has been used once two years ago and will probably remain idle as long as I have the energy to do the job myself – which I am hoping means for a very long time.

As I said, I love the snow from a theological perspective. It not only reminds of me of the coming spring and resurrection. It reminds me of something that is even more pertinent to daily life that I often tend to forget and certainly even more often overlook. And that is, as I was recently reminded, that our life is like footprints in the snow. They can be seen, unlike the footprints we make walking through water and are washed away the second we lift our foot.

Those footprints in the snow are a reminder that everything we do somehow remains. It is not washed away the second we move on. It remains. When I walk on newly fallen snow to get the mail, I leave footprints. When I return two hours later with shovel in hand, I notice that my footprints have been covered over by a new layer of snow. However, when I start to shovel where those footprints once were, I find that they are still there. My walking over the snow to fetch the mail pushed down the snow and made an impression in it. That impression was still there and made for a more difficult shoveling.

Again, it was and is a reminder that those footprints can be covered up, but they still remain. Whatever we do in this life remains, somehow in some way. Our actions now not only affect what we do next, but they affect everyone else even though we do not realize that truth or are simply oblivious to it.

The snow will melt, winter will pass, spring and new life will be here. But all that we

did, all the steps we took, will still remain. As this winter’s snow will have an effect on

what this spring will be like, so the steps we take in the snow will have an effect on the

steps we and others take walking through April showers.