Spring in Snow

Snow fell in mid-April, as if even the burgeoning spring flowers could not quench the fear that broods over the world. Our world reeks with fear. Where do you see it, read it, smell fear?

“But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, NLT

In this time, we are still called to spread the fragrance of Christ. Everywhere. Like sweet perfume. But most of us are stretched in ways we have never been before: loneliness, anxiety, boredom, job loss, job changes, more work, homeschooling, patience, fear, illness, grief, loss…..

As Paul exclaims, “Who is adequate for such a task?” (2 Corinthians 2:16). We may say that we luckily don’t have the grand ministry Paul has. But don’t we? We are called to be fragrance of Christ now, in a world that is reeking of death. Yet many of us perhaps feel stretched, facing the unknown. All is unusual: what should have been a together-Easter separated, like snow on the forsythias.

Who is adequate?

Where do you feel that sense of inadequacy? Where are you called to give the fragrance of Christ, but are tempted to give the sharp acrid smell of fear, impatience, judgement, anger?

But God is so committed to you, to your family, to those you are praying for, to his global church, to his glory that he is intimately involved. He is so much more invested in your love, in your grace, in your freedom than even you are. On the tail of his exclamation of inadequacy, Paul exclaims:

Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:4-5, NIV

The grace you need to show today comes from him. He will give you what you need. The flowers under the snow are still blossoming. Spring is still coming in the hands of our faithful God. Feel his grand smile over you and his competency, his own Spirit-strength pouring into you today.