THE ICY GNARLY ELM  

Winter is established here in the woods. The sky is white and the woodland floor covered with a blanket of snow and ice. Only evergreens provide a dash of color against the white backdrop of land and sky.

God's grace is like snow—Christ's shed blood covering sin.

"Come now, let us reason together,"

says the LORD.

"Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow."

Isaiah 1:18a 

The poem is about an old woman who has weathered a few winters. She stands alone, beyond youth. Her time is ending, as all times do here on earth. Death will come. I, too, will have to face it someday.

Just as man is destined to die once,

and after that to face judgment.

Hebrews 9:27  

and

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born
and a time to die.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a

I heard a wonderful message from our Pastor. He said 'God inhabits eternity':

For thus saith the high and lofty One

that inhabiteth eternity,

whose name is Holy;

I dwell in the high and holy place,

with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,

to revive the spirit of the humble,

and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 57:15 (KJV)   

The dictionary, the second most-used book in my home, defines 'contrite' as "being thoroughly sorry or penitent."

Penitent means "feeling or showing sorrow for having sinned or done wrong."

Humble involves "the virtue of humility". And humility is "the quality of being without pride" or voluntary self-abasement. It's good to know what these words mean because this is who God will dwell with and revive.

God has told us to put our trust in Him, as it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, the verses today's poem is based upon. Don't lean on your own understanding. Compared to eternity, we are but a small amount of time...a little section of string on a ball of everlasting string, tossed out into all known space, still unraveling.

The exact center of the Bible is about trusting God:

It is better to trust in the LORD

than to put confidence in man.
Psalm 118:8

Pray trusting God. Your trust in the God who inhabits eternity and your waiting on Him will go a long way:

So Christ was sacrificed once
to take away the sins of many people;
and he will appear a second time,
not to bear sin,
but to bring salvation to those who 
are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

Endure long winter days and the clean, crisp, white snow that covers much, 
ending with the promise of spring. 

Pray trusting the God of Hope.