Whiter than Snow
Allow me to digress from the columns, “Getting to Know Him.” I enjoy a good snow so much I simply cannot resist writing about it.
First thing this morning, I looked out on our patio. The tables are covered with what appears to be seven or eight inches of snow. I did not measure it because footprints mar its beauty.
It is almost noon now. The morning sun glistens, blinding me with its beauty. I think---that is white! Really white! I remember the biblical words, “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7) I think, “I wish.”
Nature has several methods of “stopping the world.” Floods, fires, earthquakes; but snow stops things quietly. Seven inches of snow last night, and I never heard a flake hit the roof.
The actor Henry Morgan said on television once, “Snow is God’s way of humbling us. God says, ‘You think you are smart? See what you can do with this.’ Then He covers us with a foot of snow.” I doubt Henry Morgan should be trusted as a theologian, but he got it right this time.
I cancelled an appointment to get my haircut this morning. As I did so, I wondered how much my barber needs my business. Will this take food off her table? This thought aroused my guilt about enjoying the snow. I sit here in the warmth enjoying the beauty, while many are inconvenienced, and some suffer greatly. I know because I once had a heart attack shoveling snow.
It’s called the sound of silence. I hear no birds and wonder how many, if any, will die because of the snow. I miss their singing; they miss their food. That seems like an unfair trade. I live near an interstate highway; and today the hum of the vehicles is minimal. I have mixed emotions about that.
The snow is nostalgic for me. Not only do I remember many past snowfalls, but I recall during my seminary days I always counted on snow days when classes would be cancelled so I could “catch up.” To the best of my memory, the snow never disappointed me.
Finally, I remember snow is temporary. Tomorrow it will not be so pretty. That makes me sad!