Good morning: Sometimes it takes “fresh eyes” to really see and appreciate something. A few days ago one of our younger grade school students asked me, “Is there going to be some more winter?” It was Groundhog Day and while she liked winter, she apparently worried that it was nearly over. I assured her that there was still plenty of winter ahead. At the time, I was more than ready for winter to be over. All I saw was snowy, slippery streets and walks. I saw my garden frozen solid for weeks to come. I saw more days of heavy coats, stocking caps, and gloves. But looking at things through the eyes of that little girl gave me a fresh perspective. I could see the beauty of a new powdery layer of snow. I thought of clean, crisp air and the simple fun of sledding. It’s good to see things through fresh eyes. God gives us “fresh eyes” with which to see our lives and world in a new light. Instead of just another winter in another year, through the Word we see the providential grace of God who told Noah after the flood, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Gen. 8:22). Rather than seeing just another weekend to get more work done or enjoy downtime, as believers we see a precious time of grace to “seek first the kingdom of God.” While the world lives merely for the pleasures and pursuits of this brief time on earth, with the eyes of faith we see past the present to the glory to come which is our inheritance by faith. May the Holy Spirit give us fresh eyes today to see and appreciate all the Lord’s blessings. Yours in Christ, Pastor Services tomorrow are 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. The Lord’s Supper will be celebrated. Sunday school resumes tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. We pray that all of our children will be able to participate and receive the one-on-one instruction in the Word which Sunday school provides. Adult Bible class meets at 9:45 a.m. The adult class will continue to meet in the activity room next to the kitchen. Here is the link for service signup: https://tinyurl.com/y2j5r8sn Signing up for the Sunday service by 6 p.m. Saturday is appreciated and helpful and a way of showing Christian love for one another. It gives the Elders and ushers an idea of how many people to prepare for. When you sign up you can also see how full the service will be, and if you wish, consider attending the other service. By signing up, you can easily be informed if that were advisable because of contact with someone at the service who later became ill. The governor’s mask order is still in effect for all indoor spaces, including churches. Masks are available in the entry if you forget yours.
