I LOVE SNOW!
And no, I’m not quoting Lorelai Gilmore here. I actually love it. I saw maybe three snowstorms throughout my whole childhood and cherished each one like a miraculous event—which in NC, they really are. I’m proud to say that as an adult, I wait just as impatiently for snow to fall, but now that I live in the Midwest, I usually get my fill between January and April (and then some).
Chances are, if you’re a believer, you can’t see a fresh blanket of snow without remembering certain familiar salvation verses. Isaiah 1:18 prophetically declares God’s direct promise to take the scarlet filthiness of our sin and wash us white as snow. And in Psalm 51:7, David cries out in agonized faith, begging God to cleanse him and replace his sin with the snow-white purity of being restored to His Presence.
We’ve all heard and considered these expressions, maybe even marveled at the implications while viewing the effects of a snowstorm. But the metaphor goes much deeper than color.
What else does snow teach us about the life of faith and our engagement with God?
Snow covers over what's broken, ugly, and boring.
- After it has snowed, I tend to take fresh notice of the houses on my street. Snow adds a blanket of storybook charm and whimsy to things that don’t hold much beauty otherwise. A pile of tires looks like a giant stack of Oreos. A dirty pond is graced with a magical frosty surface. A box-like house looks like it’s made out of sugar. Similarly, salvation not only washes us clean but invites us to wear the perfect robes of Christ’s righteousness. In Him, we are empowered to look and act as we were meant to, embracing the life of power and wonder we were made for. (Is. 59:17 and 61:10)
Snow changes our schedules, adding caution, rest, and focus.
- How many of you love a good snow day? This frozen precipitation tends to cancel our other plans, keeping us off the roads and in our homes, forcing us into a more relaxed, meditative pace. We’re more aware of how we drive, how long it takes to get places, and the necessity of the trips we’re taking. We’re compelled to enjoy activities that we often neglect. Likewise, God’s Spirit encourages us to keep awake and alert, aware of how we walk, making the best use of our time, and yet when we truly understand who He is and our position with Him, our life in the Lord is a life of joyful rest—even in the midst of storms. (Mark 4:39 and Eph. 5:15-16)
Snow showcases God's creativity.
- I often wear a black coat when it snows so I can catch the perfect, tiny details of each crystallized flake on my sleeve. And it’s true—they’re all different and each so perfectly ordered! Manmade snow under a microscope looks like a horrendous mess in comparison. The world is ironically obsessed with being different, but the only true nobility of it comes as we embrace our God-given and God-designed uniqueness. Don’t be afraid to grow into who God made you. Honor it. Trust its beauty. Remember that you were formed to bring Him glory in a special way no one else can. Don’t rob the world of that. (Psalm 139:14)
Snow brings a veritable hush.
- Sometimes I pull up a “snowfall ambience” on my phone to help me sleep. Why? Because snow actually has a sound. It’s an otherworldly dance of wind and sound waves between the snowflakes themselves—the breathing of the sky. And it’s addicting. Jesus’ Presence is awe-inspiring and electric, but it invites us to come and rest. To prepare us for going into the world as sheep among wolves, He continually draws us into Himself, to those still waters and quiet pastures where we can drink deeply of His faithfulness and be replenished. Don’t neglect the rest of God. You need it like you need your breath. Practice His Presence so that you can hear His still, small voice anywhere, no matter the noise. (Heb. 4:11 and Ps. 23, 1 Kings 19:12)
Snow makes everything seem new.
- I love it when snow falls during the night, so I wake up to a backyard and neighborhood that seems reborn. I feel like I’ve been transported to another world, refreshed and renewed. That’s what Jesus does for us. We are not just improved in Him. We are made completely whole and new, invited into His world, His heart. Everything changes. And I can’t think of anything better.
So, the next time you step out into the snow (or marvel at it in a movie if you prefer it at a distance) take time to remember what God has done for you through Christ.
God not only sees us pure and holy, covered by His righteousness, but He descends into our lives and transforms everything He touches. He’s meant to be felt and heard and noticed and delighted in. He’s meant to wake us up, move things around, delight and dazzle, and change things. It’s His Nature. And we have two choices in response to it.
We can live in resistance to Him, resenting the inconvenience of a God who requires surrender or we can jump into this faith adventure with both feet and embrace Him with wonder. And if you’d rather not engage with snow, no worries. Just don’t miss the fact that you were made to engage with its Creator.