Did it snow at your house? Depending on where you live, you might have gotten a big snow surprise, or in my case, sleet and snow surprise, or some got a freezing rain and sleet unwanted gift. As most of you know, I am a snow lover. We got a bit of freezing rain too, which gave the tree branches a light coat. The next morning we woke up to about two more inches. The trees looked magical covered in the fluffy white snow.

            At school, I have fun giving the students and staff my predictions on what will happen. I do occasionally miss the quantity of snow, but do have the number of days we will be out or on delay correct. On this storm, I predicted ten to fourteen inches for Thomasville up through Greensboro, which ended up being right. I told people that I believed the same forecast for Salisbury would hold true if we could keep the sleet and freezing rain out. I heard reports that those north of town got about ten inches while here on the south of town we got about seven.

            It looks like a Christmas card scene outside. I always go for a walk whenever it snows and enjoy the winter wonderland. The air is fresh and clean. The landscape takes on a magical appearance, with the snow creating beautiful pictures. I passed a father and his young son walking around in the snow. I said to the father, “That’s the age to really appreciate the wonder of the snow.” The father responded, “Yeah, he doesn’t have a care in the world.”

            What happens to that child-like wonder? I understand we have to grow up and pay bills. Do we have to lose the wonder of watching snow? Can’t we occasionally stop and smell the flowers and appreciate their beauty? Do we watch the sun rise or set? There is beauty all around us in God’s creation, you only have to notice. It’s an opportunity to connect with your creator.

            A friend sent me a picture with a yard stick stuck in the snow. He wanted me to see that he had about 13 inches at his house. I told him that I hoped he was enjoying the winter wonderland at his house. That got him thinking about something interesting. One snowflake by itself is beautiful and unique, but when you put a whole bunch together you create a wonderland.

            That is how it is supposed to be in the body of Christ. Each of us is a unique creation. God has given each of us unique gifts, talents, and abilities that are expressions of Him. Individually, we are special in our Father’s eyes. But when you put us together in the body of Christ, we become a wonderland. When we all bring our individual talents, skills, and abilities together, they express and reveal the heart of God.

            I need you to be who you are in the body of Christ and you need me to be who God created me to be if we want to get a true picture of God. No one knows God completely, but when you bring your piece and I bring mine and we put them together the picture becomes clearer. The body of Christ becomes the spiritual wonderland.

            Some people miss the beauty of snow and they also miss the beauty of the body of Christ. People see snow as an ugly hindrance to life. People can also see the body of Christ as a bunch of imperfect people with all kinds of problems. I have heard that snow forms around a dust speck and thereby cleans the atmosphere. Yes, it is true everyone in the body of Christ is a sinner. We were dirt at our center, but then Christ came in us and made us whiter than snow. He purified us and made us into something beautiful.

             That’s why we need to come together to encourage each other, to support each other. We are the expression of God on the earth. We are His representatives. We are His hands and feet. We are here in the world to make it a better place. We make it beautiful.

            I encourage you, whether you are a snow lover or not, to see yourself as a beautiful, hand-carved snowflake. God’s spirit is at work in you to make you a beautiful representative of Him. He needs you to be the unique creation and expression of Him to make the world a more beautiful place. I don’t believe we will have a white Christmas this year, but I am going to enjoy the snow each time it falls as I reflect on my uniqueness in the body of Christ.

Contact Doug at doug@dougcreamer.com