Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

The Scriptures will be embedded in the story.

Boilerplate

I’m Harold Dykstra.  I’m retired, but I go to food bank distributions all over Tracy and talk to people that need someone who will listen to their story.  My time is well spent.  A police lieutenant suggested that I write down the conversations that I had with an angel.  I did not know she was an angel at the time.  The angel, for a little over a year, indwelled a life-sized posable action figure my children bought me, so that I would not be perceived as travelling alone.  And in a way, she was training me for what I do while talking to the needy.  She probed my heart to find out what I believed and how I express love for others.  She changed my life.

In her leaving, she said someone would come.  I had thought that was Jesus, in His second coming, but a new Babs, a little older, the model for the posable action figure arrived.  While I had no desire to start over with romance, Morrie helped her move in, thinking she was the other Babs who had returned.

This Week’s Question

Last week, Babs put up a Christmas tree, and she got Willie’s two children and Joe Painter to decorate the tree.

This week, Babs set up a sleigh ride.  Really, the Mennonite community had sleigh rides in January and February, as long as there was snow, but snow is iffy in December.  But I have noticed something.  I go to feeding the homeless events to feed the homeless and talk to those that need help.  Babs goes to the same events to work hard, but as she is working, she is talking to other workers and making connections.  Sure, she talks to the homeless also, but Babs cannot help herself.  She loves making friendships.  And her friendship with people at the county line is probably what led to a romantic ride through portions of rural Tracy and eastern Stout County.  We had the Painters taking care of Sugar.  This was a romantic sleigh ride for the two of us.

When the ride was over, and we were half frozen, Babs suggested that we go to the Gargoyle House for some hot chocolate.  I was thinking that Paddy and Hannah were her contacts for information in this part of Tracy.  They occasionally helped with the serving of food.  They had brought Clyde, Edna, Barry, and Bonnie to the last event.  Now the honeymooners were at Halfway.  And it was probably the honeymooners that got word to Hannah.

Hannah had her usual construction workers that had returned, but due to the weather delays, they were picking up whatever work they could get from Erasmus.  The only problem is that Erasmus already had extra help.  The farmers were spending their time volunteering to help on construction projects.  The ground was frozen, but there were a lot of jobs they could do to fabricate things that would make the construction go faster, but they also made furniture for new families or to sell.  Hannah was a good buyer of such furniture.  It established the rustic feel that she and Paddy were hoping to convey, but much was going to be used for the two newlywed couples at the County Line Farm.

But we were not spending the night.  We just wanted to spend some time with the McCrearys.  Their hot chocolate was excellent.

Hannah asked, “Was your sleigh ride what you expected?”

Babs said, “Neither of us had ever been on a sleigh ride.  We had no expectations at all.  It was not that cold, but when we went into the wind and the horses picked up some speed, you felt it.”

I laughed, “I never thought that I would experience wind chill on a sleigh ride.  But the Mennonites have plenty of handmade quilts to keep you warm.  But since you do not want to miss seeing something interesting, you don’t bury your face in the blankets.

Hannah laughed, “It can get so cold in the dead of winter that no one wants to take the tour, but then there are the crazy young couples who are willing to try anything for that romantic moment.”

Paddy said, “We are going to take the plunge on one of the bitter cold days in January for the full experience.”

Hannah groaned, “Do not listen to this man.  He exaggerates when he is not telling out and out lies.  We are going to go after the first of the year when it is not terribly cold, but the ground is still frozen.  Oma and my mother understand we want to do the ride together, but they do not want us getting too cold.  I have an unborn child to think about.  But I know the people who do the tours and they have a bed warmer.  They have the sleigh in a barn.  They warm the blankets and then after they have the sleigh outside the barn and the guests under the blankets, they run a bed warmer under a blanket near the one next to the guest’s clothing.  Ummm.  A bed warmer is a metal pan, sometimes with a few coals in it, under a lid.  You run that around between the sheets and then you hop into bed while the sheets are somewhat warm.“

Babs asked, “Thinking of staying warm and warming back up, can Harold and I do a Bible study before we go back into Tracy?”

Paddy smiled, “Only if you let us join you.”

I said, “Babs kept asking me while we were taking our sleigh ride about what the Bible says about snow.  There are 23 references to the word ’snow’ and some just refer to snow as a color.  Would you and Hannah like to join us?”

Hannah came in quickly with her Bible, and Paddy pulled out his phone where he had an application downloaded.

Paddy said, “That color thing applies to the first two.  In Exodus 4:6. Moses’ hand is “the skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.”, but that is only a sign before Pharoah.  In Numbers 12:10, it says, “Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow.”

I nodded.  “Yes, Moses’ leprosy was a sign that Moses was speaking for God.  Miriam and Aaron rebelled against Moses.  Aaron was the high priest, but Miriam carried no office like that.  She became leprous, and Moses begged God to heal her, and God healed her.  The Israelites stayed in one spot for another week, to allow Miriam to be clean for six days which allowed her to present herself to the priest and be considered ceremonially clean once more.  But when Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, got greedy, he obtained Naaman’s leprosy and it uses the phrase about becoming ‘as white as snow.’  That’s in 2 Kings 5:27.  I think that is all the references to leprosy that describe the skin being as white as snow.”

Babs sighed, “Thank you.  All that talk about a skin disease and my skin was starting to crawl.”

Hannah smiled, “Mine too.  Strange how you hear something like this, and then your skin starts feeling unusually dry.  What is the next time snow is mentioned?”

I laughed, “We skipped two.  Benaiah was a great warrior for King David.  In 2 Samuel 23:20 and again in 1 Chronicles 11:22, it says, “Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.”  It’s the same exact wording in those two verses.

Paddy said, “But there are several more references to snow as a color.  Do you want to finish those off?”

I smiled, “Yeah, I’ll let you read a couple.”

Paddy said, “King David’s psalm about his shame and guilt over having adultery with Bathsheba is Psalm 51.  In verse 7, it says, ‘Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.’  But I don’t know about Psalm 68:14.  ‘When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.’ That looks like white like snow, but I am not sure what it means.”

I smiled, “In verse 12 it says that kings and armies flee in haste.  So, when the Almighty, meaning God, catches up with those kings, it will look like snow fell on Mount Zalmon.  So, if many people died and the scavengers ate all the meat, what would be left that is white?”

Paddy’s eyes brightened, “Their bones!  Now it makes sense.  But I think we need to move on before the ladies get sick.  Isaiah 1:8 is often quoted. ‘“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ But I have seen wool that was not white.”

Hannah smiled, “We only have to go as far as the County Line Farm, but those aren’t sheep either.  Those are llamas and goats.  There are black sheep and mottled sheep.  But after scarlet is washed white as snow, we know that the other metaphor is talking about white.”

Babs said, “And I found the last reference to snow in the Bible.  When Jesus appeared to the Apostle Paul on Patmos, His hair was white as snow.  But that is nothing compared to the rest of how Jesus looked in His glory. Revelation 1:14-15 says, ‘The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.’  But can we find some references to snow being weather related?  After all, that is what prompted this conversation.”

I begged, “But Babs, Daniel 7:9 says, ‘As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.”’  So, even clothing can be white.”

Babs smiled and growled at the same time.  I did not know she could do that.  I wonder what other talents she was hiding from me.

I quickly mentioned, “Job speaks of people that are as undependable ‘as the streams that overflow when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow,’ (Job 6:15b-16)”

Babs sighed, “More metaphors?  I want some thunder snow!”

Paddy laughed, “I’ve got it!  ‘Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children.’ (Psalm 148:7-12)”

Hannah asked, “But why all those mountains, and animals, and people?”

Paddy said, “It starts off telling the earth to praise God, but then it mentions the sea creatures and the oceans, so then why not mention everything else?  It is all that God created, including the weather, should give God praises.  At least that’s how I see it.”

I clarified, “The psalmist is indeed listing the weather events along with the sea creatures and mountains.  It is what you said that everything that God made should give praises to God.”

Babs smiled and batted her eyelashes, “Paddy did a wonderful job of relating snow to weather.  Can you do better, Big Boy?”

I swallowed hard,  “How about the previous psalm? ‘He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.’ (Psalm 147:16)”

“Finally!” Babs exclaimed, “Maybe we can go home now.”

Hannah laughed, “I like you two.  You make Bible study fun.”

I said, “I may be sticking my neck out, when I am already in trouble, but what does Proverbs 31:21 say Babs?”

Babs said, “I have a bookmark on that chapter.  Here it is, Proverbs 31:21 says, ‘When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.’  Wow, the wife of noble character dresses her children in scarlet so that she can see them in the snow.  Neat!”

I smiled, “There are a few more verses scattered around the book of Job and other places, but are you now thawed enough, Babs.  We need to thank this young couple for the hot chocolate and be on our way.”

We all arose, and Babs and I thanked our hosts.

And the thought of being thawed was gone when we went to the car and a gust of wind shoved us around.  But by the time we had the car warm, Babs reached over and rubbed my shoulder. 

Babs said, “You kept me warm all day today, just knowing that you were by my side.”

Credits

All these conversations remind me of my conversations with my wife.  We would talk about anything and everything.  And most of the time, it sounded like a discussion in a Sunday school class.

There are so many songs that are played during the Christmas season about sleigh rides, but here is one, Sleigh Ride, performed by the Navy Band.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.