Spring flowers were already poking through the earth. The yellow-green buds of daffodils swelled and rose up higher every day. But then something happened. “It snowed!” Ella shouted as she looked out the window. Early morning rays of sunshine revealed a sparkly dusting of white on the ground. “Uh-oh. What will happen to the daffodils?” Ella’s mother joined her at the window. “They should be okay. It helps that the buds of the flowers haven’t opened up yet.” Ella nodded and smiled. She was looking forward to making bouquets of them soon. Then she noticed something else. “Some blades of grass are still poking through the snow. The snow isn’t covering everything.” Her mother looked out the window again. “Yes, it was not a heavy snowfall. And besides, snow this late in the season will melt quickly.” She gathered the breakfast dishes from the table and added, “Remember what snow is a picture of?” Ella crinkled her nose in thought. “’Washed white as snow’! The blood of Jesus covers our sins and makes us white as snow.” Ella’s class was learning a song with those words in it to sing for a program. Her mother was helping her learn the words, too. “ Yes,” her mother said, pleased that Ella had thought of the words. “But the snow isn’t covering all the flowers and grass,” Ella said once more. “No, it isn’t.” Mother observed the snow crystals clinging to only the broadest, bent flower buds and blades of grass. “But—this morning—that can be another part of the picture. Jesus didn’t die to cover everyone’s sins. He only died for his chosen ones, the elect. And then it’s not ‘maybe’ that they are saved— they are surely and certainly saved. He makes sure of it. The snowflakes landed exactly where he placed them. Every one always does.” Ella looked out the window and shaded her eyes from the glare of the bright and glistening snow. Yes, this morning, that was the picture in the snow.

* * * * *

“…that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross…should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation…”

Canons II, Article 8.