THE MORAL OF THE STORY:God offers fresh starts

“God doesn’t just forgive, he forgets. He erases the board. He destroys the evidence. He burns the microfilm. He clears the computer.”

— Max Lucado

I reread the sign several times, and each time I read the words, I smiled. There on a plain, white board in big black letters was a sentence that brought color to my soul. It said, “Have a great, fun, fabulous, fantastic, wonderful day today!” I saw the sign before getting on a chairlift when I went skiing with family in February. I told the chairlift operators that I loved the message, and one of them thanked me and said, “Look where you are, and look what you’re doing. You can’t help but be happy, though you would be surprised that some people can still be grumps.” I loved that the happy young man wanted to share his great mood with others.

And I did have great, fun, fabulous, fantastic and wonderful days there. I love being with my family, I love skiing, and I love the snow. There is something so powerful and majestic, yet so peaceful and graceful about snow. It was so bright it was almost blinding as it quietly glistened in its glory. I frequently paused to gaze at the mountains, which stood so majestically, proudly displaying a tiny snapshot of God’s power and might.

One scene also reminded me of God’s grace. On our last day there, we drove to meet a cousin for lunch. It had recently snowed a little, and the soft white cover only blanketed part of the road. There were patches where the mud was still visible, and the contrast between the dark ugly mud and the light beautiful snow was especially strong. The snow-covered places looked so clean that you didn’t even realize there had been only mud there before.

I realized that’s what it’s like when we ask God to help us with the mud in our lives. I began to sing a song to myself that has the lyrics, “White as snow, white as snow, though my sins were as scarlet, Lord, I know, Lord, I know, that I’m clean and forgiven...”

It reminds me of the little toys for children that we used to call doodle boards. They are small boards covered with a gray plastic sheet that you draw or doodle on with a small plastic stylus. When you are finished or frustrated, whichever comes first, you simply lift the plastic sheet and start all over again. It’s like the brand new fresh starts God offers to each one of us. God doesn’t just erase, he replaces our mess with his beauty, love, forgiveness and grace. He can make us white as snow.

And you can quote me on that.