Before the snow falls
Spring has come and gone. The crisp evening breezes and the refreshing morning rains have given life to God’s creation according to His design. Life was evident in every scenic view that caught the eye. Here at home our house was surrounded with beautiful flowers and shrubs. So many flowers with names I could never remember but I am sure Jane recalls every one of them. She planted them with care and watched them grow throughout the springtime and on into summer.
Summer has come and gone, also. The life that was begun in spring matured into awe inspiring beauty during the summer months. Trees grew tall and strong. A host of animals could be seen nursing their young and teaching them so many lessons they would need for life. We had lovely summer evenings laughing with friends, roasting marshmallows over campfires and walking along beaches or forest paths.
And, here we are in the autumn of the year. It really has been enjoyable. Now we find ourselves looking back. We always seem to look back. So many things unfinished. It is difficult to make yourself do the necessary things of life on a beautiful spring afternoon. There are bicycles to ride and boats and skateboards and kites to fly. And of course there are ponds to fish in and fields to lie down in. And then summer just creeps in silently before you even realize he is there. And all of the tasks that had to be finished are put off for just a little longer because the beach, like a siren, calls so softly and seductively. Surely the chores of life can wait just a little longer. How much time can it possibly take to camp in the forest of a great mountain ridge? And surely it isn’t wrong to plan a trip to some of God’s most beautiful waterfalls. And again, the tasks of life are shelved for just a little longer.
Autumn now finds us with so much to do and so little time. It is still so very beautiful with the multicolored leaves falling gently in the autumn breeze. Yet, at times, it looks strangely ominous when you notice among those falling leaves the bare arms of so many trees, now only half dressed. Life seems to be dissipating slowly with every gust of wind. It is now the chores of greatest urgency that cause us to say, “I really must get this done before the snow falls.” “I must fix the window shutters before the snow falls.” “I must repair the furnace before the snow falls.” How urgent the needs now seems.
And now we find ourselves prioritizing because we know we cannot finish all that must be done…before the snow falls. There simply is not enough time. Isn’t this life? The spring of our youth is spent. The vigor of those middle years is waning. And now, as strength and energy seem to be ebbing away we begin to realize what is really important. We see now what really must be done…before the snow falls.
I was speaking with one of our nieces recently and the thought occurred to me, and I shared it with her, that God has people he wants us to influence. And could it be that some of these will be people that only we can influence? Is it possible that we could be their last hope? How urgent the need. How many opportunities have we had and how many have passed us by? We really must reach them…before the snow falls. Before our eyes begin to dim, before our limbs become too frail, before our thoughts are jumbled memories…before the snow falls we must reach them.
I fear the autumn of life will continue to absorb my days with idle talk and endless play, with tasks that seem to be important but in the end will burn to ash. I cannot imagine the shame of standing before my Lord on judgment day with empty hands. Will I have nothing but the memory of being busy with life and that clarion call to service unfulfilled?
We really must reach them… before the snow falls?
