Death Beautified A recent winter walk revealed familiar local woods in a new covering of snow. Snow deadens sound and allows noisy walks to become peaceful contemplations. Snow covers surfaces and blemishes providing a satisfying uniformity to what was once scarred and worn. Snow brightens and reflects, giving a contrasting light to the dark browns and shade of a tangled fallen tree. It reveals shapes, avenues and pathways out of seemingly random twists and twigs. Snow beautifies. Snow redeems, by using itself to cover and brighten. It allows some sense to be made of what previously was tangled, messy. A fallen tree in a wood, beautified in death. A picture of a soul tangled and tortured, yet beautified through the application of a grace that allows contemplation, covers scars and contrasts the dark with an extraordinary and inexplicable Light. "The Light shines in the darkness , but the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5