New Wineskins

No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:21-22

We are inundated with snow this morning and the plows have not come through. The sky is still dropping snow and the winds are bitter and blustery. All the schools are closed and most other activities have come to a standstill. It is a snow day, that's all there is to it. When my girls were little they would wear their p.j.s inside out, hoping for a snow day. My niece and nephew add flushing ice cubes down the toilet, and another friend says you are to sleep with a spoon under your pillow to bring the snow. Whatever the cause, this has been a snowy and stormy winter, this first winter in our new home. What to do? "If we're treading on thin ice, then we might as well dance." That line from an old song reminds me that today is a very special gift, as are the people around me. Might as well celebrate the snow day and let other things get done when we can get out.

The religious leadership was not happy with Jesus since his disciples did not fast, nor did they agonize over rules and regulations. They found ways to enjoy the time they had with one another and with Jesus. They understood the tenderness and brief span of their relationship, whether or not they admitted to knowing or not. They would live fully in the days they had, knowing that celebrating love is the best thing we can do together with our time.

Today, I want to live in that celebratory way of a disciple. Living, knowing the snow and all of life is passing, but that love is eternal and a tremendous gift. We might as well dance when we can, throw snowballs and make snow angels. There will be days when we cannot. So for today, I am going to revel in the gifts of Gog and the love in my life. And tomorrow can take care of itself. May we all celebrate the brief time we have here, knowing that we are embedded in the heart of God forever.