Some of my favorite things are afternoon shadows on snow. Gray imitations of the real are cast upon the snow accentuating the whiteness of the ground cover. Shadows like all things come in many forms. Some shadows are depressing as they hide reality. Some shadows artistically reveal an impressionistic view of the real. Sometimes we forget that shade, so welcome on a hot afternoon, is but a shadow protecting us from the sometimes harshness of direct sun and heat. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
Shadows so often are depicted as harbingers of the night but they also herald the dawn as day moves across our place in the world. As nice as they are in summer there is something special in winter as they lie upon the snow. They make paths which draw our eyes to the trees or better yet to a person we love who is standing in the snow.
The “shelter of the Almighty” mentioned above promises us security and comfort from the challenges of our daily routines. We can step in the shadow and know there is someone very real with us. We are not alone. And when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we have nothing to fear. God has invested decades in growing us. He will not waste the time, energy and effort He devoted to our becoming like Him. Just as a great artist would not trash the work of a lifetime neither will our Creator waste the care, the tears and the laughter He has poured into us. We are way too expensive to ignore.
Written by Roger Bothwell on January 9, 2013
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org