A Thanksgiving reflection from guest contributor Valerie Morse
“Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18
My favourite colour has always been red. Not sure why, but I am just drawn to the colour. During this time of Autumn, as things begin to die and fade with the approach of winter, the colours of Fall are like a last moment gift before we are surrounded by white. Going for drives at this time of year can be a breath-taking experience, with the brilliant orange of the mighty oak and the soft yellow of the birch and poplar trees – but it is the red of the maples sporadically popping up amidst the oranges and yellows that for me, is a visual delight.
We have high bush cranberries at the back of our farm, and for those that the bears have not feasted on in preparation for their hibernation time, they make a lovely addition to our Thanksgiving table, among the pumpkins and coloured leaves. The one drawback, however, is that the berries can cause stains if they land on the white tablecloth, and for anyone who has ever had red stains on white, they are very difficult to remove, whether it’s from berries, blood or popsicles!
I suppose that’s why the words of a hymn that I enjoy are so upside-down when compared with our physical world.
‘What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.’
How remarkable, that here on this earth, a red stain can ruin something white, but in the realm of our Saviour, something as red as His blood, shed for us, can make us white. The beauty of that thought far out-weighs the beauty that I see all around me at this time of year!
Do I still love the colour red? More than ever! Thank you, Lord!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!
