Budding White

Thursday, April 10, 2014 Posted by Anonymous

“For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” (Isaiah 61:1)

“Yuk, what is that stuff?” I remember my sons asking when they touched their baby brother right after he was born.

Vernix: Babies are covered with the white cheesy substance while inside the womb. It’s believed to soften their skin and help them “move on out” easier. Some believe it has an antibacterial property—keeping the infant pure and clean from the dirt of the world.

Yet, have you ever noticed how much white there is in nature? From Summer stars, to Autumn mist; Winter snow, and Spring’s budding blooms. I like to think of our seasons of life being like that. We start off white: clean, new, pure in thought—just like the baby covered in protection—until we hit the streets of the world. No matter how hard we try to be kind, loving, gentle, thoughtful, and in control, the old sin nature wins over. But, only for a time.

Just like seasons are distinct in nature and character, so are we. And, just as seasons are limited to a time, so are our struggles. Seasons go dormant until their time comes again: new, fresh, pure—as if for the first time. That’s what we can count on when we pray as King David did in Psalm 51: "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”