Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
by Stuart Malkin 2 March 2021
On Ash Wednesday this year an interesting and unusual thing happened in the ‘Holy Land’ and I quote “ Snow in the holy land marks end of Israel's lockdown “
This was real snow not just a dusting on any high peak! I doubt if there is any relationship between the beginning of Lent, it’s geographical position and the end of a country’s lockdown because of the pandemic but it makes a good media headline.
I was intrigued by this and set about finding out if there is any place on earth that has been experiencing the white stuff when not expecting it. Over the last 20 years there have been either a dusting or a significant amount in the oddest of places. Kuwait, Hawaii, Guadeloupe, Buenos Aires, Iraq, Atacama Desert, and probably more.
You may be interested to know that Fiji doesn’t know what snow is, as they have never had even a light dusting.
My grandmother held Lent as a time of giving up and clearing out the pantry.
It all started when she was a maid in Yorkshire and the ‘downstairs’ people gave up sugar and distributed it to the poor in the community. Every year at home she would choose something not to have at home, could be flour, eggs, butter, vegetables and you name it, she had chosen it for this period. It didn’t continue when others took control of the home.
Going back to snow,
I think it was 25th January 2021 in Littleover, Derby that we had the cold white stuff, either you like it or you don’t, I had an email from a friend highlighting that both his and our gardens were exactly the same, we could not point out anything that would soon be in bloom, how true on that day. The amazing thing is whatever you see all around you there’s miracles going on below and around see below!
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As the song reminds us what Lent is about for each and every one of us about how Jesus can SHINE in you and me. The experiences that Jesus went through in those 40 days we will not have to go through with the Demon. Jesus left us the joy of living in us and being excited of him in our hearts.
We started with those words, let it snow and finish with, let us be really warmed in the arms of the Lord.
Prayer
What it is like to be embraced by the Lord Jesus Christ day after day after day. Amen