Unwrapping hope

Updated from February 9, 2021.

Snow danced in the light, a choreographed ballet conducted by the gentle wind. I watch the grace of each snowflake as they come together to create a fairy tale landscape. The sun captures the flakes just right, adding a glimmer of sparkle to the elegant dance. Together, the snowflakes adorn the world like gift wrap that spring will happily open soon. Only winter offers a dazzling display of snow and crystalline ice that adds energy to the weary, grey sky. While many lament the season they see as bleak and barren, I find it so peaceful and beautiful. Winter prepares the world for the blooms of spring, a season that reminds us of renewed hope with it's vibrant colors and warm sunny days. In Psalm 139, David wrote, "You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother's womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord!" (The Passion Translation) God so graciously offered us the gift of beauty in the snowflakes. As beautiful as they are, they are also unique. Each ice crystal has a unique path to the ground. They will float through different clouds of different temperatures and different levels of moisture, which means each ice crystal will grow in its own unique way.

My friend, God made you as unique as a snowflake. You are a masterpiece, made in the image of your Father. Your eyes, the number of hairs on your head, the color of your skin, the talents you have, and the passions that drive you are what make you who you are, who God created you to be.

Your walk through life has given you a story like no one else's. Your relationships, jobs, your pain, and passions have grown you into the person God needs you to be to fulfill your unique, ordained purpose. He has written His redemption plan, and your story is necessary for its success. But only you can accomplish your portion of His plan. The world offers a cookie-cutter approach to life, telling us all that we need to be nearly the same. God provides the world with the diversity of snowflakes as he formed each of us in our mother's womb. He needs you to be the unique, wacky, wonderful, sometimes broken person He created. If you aren't, how can you fulfill the specific purpose He has just for you? Your unique story might just be the gift wrap someone needs to unwrap to find the gift of Jesus. You have the hope someone needs to hear.

Friend, how can you tell the story God has appointed for you? Who needs to hear it today?