Snow Is Amazing

A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…
By Barbara Dahlgren

I love snow!

Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t like to shovel snow. I don’t like to drive in snow. I don’t like to snow ski. I don’t like building snow forts or having snow ball fights. I don’t even like to be cold – although Lord knows I can take cold weather better than hot.

So what do I love about snow? Well, I love to see it drift to earth. I love to watch it land on lawns, trees, and hillsides. I love to look at different snowmen – each formed with loving hands. I love the sound of children’s laughter when they find out school has closed for the day. I love to remember past snow moments.

Here are a few that come to mind.

I grew up in St. Louis, but the rest of our family lived about three hours away in the foothills of the Ozarks in southeast Missouri. We are talking dirt and gravel roads. So we would affectionately say, “Let’s go to the country.” When I was ten we took one such trip on Christmas Eve to Grandpa’s house. It was a typical stark winter. Grandpa lived on a hill and from the upstairs bedroom where I slept, I could see the countryside for miles around.

My parents tucked this tired little girl into bed to sleep so they could do the “Santa” thing. They decorated a tree, put presents under it, and hung my stocking by the fireplace. I woke earlier than everyone else. Instead of creeping downstairs, I looked out the window and was amazed at what I saw. For miles and miles and miles, over hill and dale, there was a soft blanket of white, like a picture postcard. I still remember that feeling of wonderment. Sure, I had seen snow before and played in it, but this was different. It felt like I was in a fairy tale.

Another time, while I was in college, I had an early meeting. It was still dark as I stepped out of my dorm and found myself surrounded by virgin snow. Trees were laden with layers of fluff and reflections from the streetlights made it all sparkly. My wonderment returned.

Last year our family decided to rent a cabin in Tahoe for Thanksgiving. My ten-year-old granddaughter Sophia was hoping for snow but none was forecast. However, Thanksgiving morning we gazed up at the chalet windows above and saw tall fir trees supporting layers and layers of snow, and more was coming down. The day was spent with Sophia sledding, building snow people, and having snowball fights with the family. Not with me, though! I enjoyed it all through the window sipping hot cocoa. But I loved it!!!!

I think snow is one of the most amazing phenomena in God’s creation. Each time I see snow floating down from heaven, I smile. God made the snow to fall to the earth (Job 37:6). God made winter and summer (Psalm 74:17). And there are lessons we can learn from each season.

Scientists say no two snowflakes are alike. Each little snowflake is one-of-a-kind, designed by God. Likewise, each person we meet is one-of-a-kind, formed by God’s design. No two fingerprints, DNA, or voice patterns are alike. Each person is unique and so is each snowflake. That gives us a little something to think about when we’re scraping it off our windshield or shoveling it off the walkway. It doesn’t make the task easier, but it does reveal God’s glory.

*****

Lord, thank you for snow. How I love to see it fall to earth! How I treasure the memories that fill my soul when I think of snow! Each season exposes me to different facets of Your wondrous creation. You made summer and You made winter. Each has a purpose. Help me not to miss the lessons I can learn from You as I live through each season in life.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.