Snow Globes

By: Kelly Byrley

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

Do you enjoy snow globes?  I sure do.  I love taking in all the details of the peaceful scene that’s on the inside and then giving it a good shake so I can watch the beautiful snow fall all around.  

Our lives can be like a snow globe.  We can be at ease and then suddenly, the Lord comes along and gives our peaceful little world a good shake.  We are thrown off balance for a minute during the chaos.  If we aren’t clinging to something solid and strong, we fall and become injured.  The things around us that aren’t secure begin to fall and break.  We may be scared, angry, confused, frustrated, sad, or so many other negative emotions.  Happy, excited, grateful, and other positive emotions are usually not the emotions we feel…at least during the shaking.  It may feel like the shaking will never end, but it does.  When it stops, we immediately begin looking around to survey the damage.  We see that some of our things are broken and destroyed.  If we are honest with ourselves, some of these things were just clutter or distractions that we should’ve gotten rid of a long time ago.  They are things that were taking up the space we should have made available for more important things.  However, scattered among all this rubble we sadly realize that not all the things that are broken were unnecessary.  Some of them were truly precious to us.  We are heartbroken as we realize they are now damaged or destroyed.  We are filled with regret because we never took the time or energy to properly secure them despite knowing that we should. After the initial shock begins to wear off, we start to inspect ourselves.  We may be hurt or injured, but how badly is determined by what we were clinging to when the shaking started.  If we were clinging to something that wasn’t secure enough to withstand the disruption or if we were relying on our own balance to keep us steady, our injuries would be greater. If we were clinging to something steadfast, we might have minor injuries or even escaped the ordeal mostly unharmed. 

During all of this, the snow has started to fall, and people have gathered around to watch.  They are automatically drawn to the scene to watch the beautiful snowfall.  They see us inside as we start to clean up our mess and heal from our injuries.  They see us as we discard the unnecessary things that were cluttering up our lives.  They see us as we repair the precious things and do our best to secure them from future damage.  They see us heal and become stronger.  Hopefully, they see us make better spiritual choices.  They watch as we nail down the solid, unwavering thing we will cling to when the next jolt comes.  They also watch as, throughout this rebuilding and healing process, we also take the time to enjoy the beauty of the falling snow.  As the snow blankets the area, we feel the sweet peace and stillness that uniquely comes after a fresh snowfall.  Then we understand that without the shaking, there can be no snow.

You might wonder why I chose Jeremiah 29:11 as my main verse since it doesn’t have anything to do with snow globes which has been the theme of this devotional.  I chose it because it has to do with how God feels about us. 

The shaking He does in our lives is not to harm us, but rather to purge us, strengthen us, change us, and allow us to be a better example for others.  He has an expected path with an expected end for each of us and sometimes our lives need to be shaken up a bit to keep us on that path. 

Let’s ask ourselves a few questions.

What do I need to discard in my life that is cluttering up my time and energy?  

• “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1

• “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” Luke 8:14

What precious things do I need to protect and secure in my heart and life?  

• “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

• “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:5

What sort of support do I cling to when the shaking starts?  

• “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Psalm 18:2

• “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10

Since the Lord gave me this thought over a year ago, I have been reminded of these things every time I have seen a snow globe, and I pray that this would also be true for you as well.