Deeper than the Snow…

I recall a few years ago, the feeling of bitter cold come over me in my heart. Our marriage was hanging by a thread; being together felt as lonely as when we were apart. We were experiencing a true blizzard in our marriage. We were a mound of slush on a bed of thin ice.

Thank you, Jesus, for consistent provision and the warmth of Your Word. We nearly lost to frostbite. Ever been there?

I pray you never experience the depths of pain we have at times (though they have been the most refining) but it is guaranteed you will experience bittery cold seasons where it’s not all snuggies and hot cocoa.

This past snow was so particularly beautiful to me as I looked out Saturday morning. Fresh fallen and untouched. No slush, no dry patches where the snow had melted, no footprints, nor any stained yellow snow (just yet). The rising sun added a beautiful glisten over the snow covered landscape.

Lovely and pure in all ways.

When we exchange our vows to each other on our wedding day, it’s almost like walking from the inside out into the snow together. This world is cold just like any given snow day. In order to keep warm, you must stick together and be properly geared. You might have left behind your hat. You’ll likely survive but chances of misery compared to having it are great. Just like if we walk through our marriages without the guidance of God’s Word to keep us warm when the world is trying to freeze us out.

I have experienced both. Have there been times in your marriage where it seems so cold and you’re grasping for retail therapy to keep your warm, or a midnight feast, or social media, even possibly another man? Temporarily, you might get all the feels of warmth but they lead straight to frostbite.

I can testify to the warmth Christ can bring into a marriage like no other outlet of this world.

We hope for life to be that of an untouched snow scene. Glistening, white, and pure. In essence of marriage, we don’t hope for footprints of places the devil has tried to stomp all over us. We don’t hope for stained snow where the purity has been tainted. We don’t hope for dry patches where we can see snowy white scenes of marriages surrounding us wondering where ours went wrong. We don’t hope for seasons of slush where our past is meddled with our present and we are left to deal with dirt and grime of what was once pure.

These past few days have been some of the best days of my marriage journey thus far. Instead of watching television, we played hide-and-go seek with our kids: parents versus kids, and it was a memorable blast. We fought through a chaotic Sunday morning to get to church together being one of the best yet. We played in the snow and played Uno, and enjoyed snow cream and hot cocoa. We even, yes I am saying it, cleaned house together as a family. There were some meltdowns and it got a little slushy at times. It was beautiful and redemptive nonetheless.

If you happen to be in a season where the snow isn’t so magnificent in your marriage, I can relate. Though, I’m here to tell you I also relate to the power of treading through a blizzard together. How I know a Father who yearns for us to walk with Him and seek Him as our comfort when nothing else of this world will ever bring you lasting warmth.

Possibly, you have lost your unity with each other by falling down different slopes and are in need of a Savior to guide you back. The beauty in marriage doesn’t come from a scene untouched. The beauty comes from experiencing the slush together, fighting the footprints of the enemy through prayer, praise, fasting, and Scripture. There is something captivating when we offer grace to the tainted and stained areas of our spouse.        As I look out this morning  at the footprints everywhere, and slush in the driveway, and more and more dry patches,  and a few puppy stained areas, none of which are quite the scene from 2 days ago, I am okay with that and find it quite beautiful in a different light.

I pray this post warm your heart and ignite your passion for the warmth and purity of Jesus above any other offer in your coldest days.

the lovely exchange:

the cold outlets of this world in the midst of a marital snowstorm that only lead to frostbite

exchanged for

the warm outlet of Jesus through prayer, fasting, Scripture and praise that lead to lasting warmth, hope, and healing