Soft, Silent and Serene

At first I was dreading the snow. Snow means I can't get to work and earn some money. But my mother pointed out to me tonight when I was complaining about it that maybe God gives us snow days to encourage us to rest. A day of rest without obligations sounds quite wonderful to me. As it continued to snow, I was able to pick out the things I appreciate about the snow instead of being irritated that it was still falling.

Not only do I love snowball fights, snow cream and snowmen, but when my mom, little sister and I went for a walk from midnight until one in the morning, I began to discover little things that amaze me.

One, of course, is the intricacy of snowflakes. The flakes that fell tonight were so big and sparkled along the ground; I couldn't resist observing them a little closer. It is amazing. I don't know much about precipitation and how it forms, but I do know that each little snowflake is incredible.

My mom pointed out to me the shadows of the snow falling under the street lights. Some seemed to be moving fast, some slow. But you could always tell where a snowflake landed because the shadow disappeared. It was mesmerizing.

Another thing I marveled at was that even though the snow fell so lightly, calmly and slowly, when it accumulates in large amounts, it can create enough weight to break even a large branch from a tree. A lot of small, delicate flakes can have strength enough to impact something much larger.

I also love the way a blanket of snow can light up the night and how it seems to make the world a calm and serene place.

I don't know how God came up with the idea of snow or what His thought process was in doing so, but I do see His glory reflected in the tiniest snowflake and His character reflected in the peacefulness, play and rest. In reflection of these things, I think I will appreciate the snow a little bit more. It presents a tangible opportunity to be in awe of the Creator and it can encourage growth in relationships with others considering all the fun and memories that can be made from it.