Why Snow?

In December, I heard from several sources that we would be getting quite a bit of snow this year - more than last year. I still didn't expect what we've gotten these past two weeks. Never in my memory has snow lasted this long in Knoxville. If we're out of school tomorrow for another day, that'll make two full weeks of snow days.

As much as I'm inclined to complain about how this affects my lesson planning, I love the snow. 

Last week, one of my roommates and I sat in our living room, reading and watching the snow come down. After a day of freezing rain and sleet (which wasn't pretty at all), this was her observation:

"I'm glad that God made snow and not just ice and sleet. It's so pretty."

I don't think she realized how profound that was.

God could have just made sleet and hail and freezing rain that cover the world in ice. But He didn't. He also made snow. 

Snow. 

No matter how many times I've seen it, I'm still left amazed by how it coats the earth in a soft, white blanket, muting the sounds of restlessness and busyness that normally fill the air. Cold and lovely. When I walk through the snow, it's like I turn into a four-year-old, giggling and tromping around, watching my feet make footprints as I run around under snow-frosted trees. I love getting bundled up and heading out into the snow, the cold air kissing my nose, my fingers going numb when I make snowballs.

There is something utterly delightful about snow. Yes, I realize that snow can be inconvenient if you're trying to drive somewhere (or make lesson plans), and I realize that some people just don't like cold weather, but for a child playing in the snow, it's magical. If we're honest, playing in the snow and even walking through the snow is just plain fun. And I think that tells us something about the character of God.

God didn't make a world of pure practicality, creating things merely for their function. God made things that are breathtakingly beautiful. 

God made light and color, waterfalls and sunsets, rolling green hills and vast oceans, autumn colors and spring rain. He made cheerful songbirds and hyperactive squirrels, friendly dogs and mellow elephants. He created microorganisms too small to see, and He created colossal stars in galaxies flung far across space. God created snow. God created a world that fills us with wonder, a world that delights us. 

Why? Why did God bother with such beauty? Why does it matter?

I think that God created a beautiful world because He Himself is beautiful. God created a world full of wonders because He Himself is wonder-full. God created a delightful world because He is delightful, and He loves to delight His children. 

It's like when a husband surprises his wife with flowers. The flowers don't serve a practical purpose. They're just beautiful. And they communicate how much the man loves his wife. 

That's why I love snow. It's just beautiful. It shows me how beautiful and wonderful God is. It shows me how much He loves me. And I think that's the point.