When It Snows

“When it snows, she has no fear” – Proverbs 31: 21

Much of the country consisted of snow beholders this weekend as Winter Storm Jonas came to town. 11 states declared emergency over the blizzard that swept the East Coast. There were 8,569 flight cancellations this weekend, according to CNN and more than 74,000 people without power! From the Carolinas all the way to New York, thousands of people experienced the colossal aftermath of the icy threat.

Despite many laze fair attitude towards the weather, there were plenty people who anticipated the worst, resulting in empty isle at the grocery store, traffic jams in every gas station and Christmas worthy crowds, all lined up at home improvement stores. Eggs, bread and milk all vanished like a mist and people were eager to head home and avoid the catastrophe that seemed to be impending.  And I wondered, as I watched the news and followed the forecast, how something so beautiful- something we so often attribute to childhood pleasure and fun, could hurt so many people and bring on so much panic and fear.

The impressions of snow, in scripture, and even in our modern era, I suppose, are both beautiful and alarming. Some of our great Biblical writers liken it to purity and others liken it to trouble; and there is no wonder. For any agricultural community, snow can be seen as a threat against produce and income. Its beauty, which excites children and coats the world with a crystal glow, also had the same impact to cause alarm and dread; much like the experience of this past weekend and others long before.

As we all know, scripture was written for the most part, by Middle Eastern men, who more than likely never actually experienced a snowy day; “But even though the writers may never have felt the cold touch of snow, they had in sight two mountain tops covered [with snow]”, which strong winds might have pushed down into the valley on scarce occasions (T. Hind). The point? Well, we all of us can enjoy the beauty of snow, but we seldom see its beauty when it causes us a problem.

Sometimes, in life we experience this snow effect: When what is hoped to be beautiful turns disastrous. When the relationships we anticipated leaves us disappointed, or the raise we hoped for
wasn’t quite enough; when we feel great only to find out we are truly sick, or when our hard efforts still don’t seem good enough... That is the snow effect, and sooner or later, it falls on us all. So, what are we to do about it? Should we stay locked in doors, hoping to avoid the calamity? If so, we may miss the chance to live. Instead, maybe, we can take such moments to count our blessings, search for the beauty in the trial and ask God’s guidance to see us through.

I love the scripture in Proverbs and I LOVE that it is addressed to a “SHE”!

“When it snows, SHE has no fear”!

As women, and also men, sometimes the snowstorm doesn’t seem to quit. What began as pretty anticipation starts to clobber us at every side, freezing our dreams, blowing over our hopes, crystalizing our efforts and leaving our hearts feeling very frost bitten! Oh, if only coffee or hot cocoa could melt it all away! But, in times where we are left to scrape off the ice icicles and thaw off the pain through prayer, we can do so without the company of fear. Fear makes the storm seem colder. Fear makes the snow seem more bitter than it truly is. But we know that we needn’t fear, because God has given us the spirit of power, of love and a sound mind.

In Christ, fear has no place and there is no storm that can overcome you! You are strong enough, through Christ, to wage any storm that might blow your way. You, who seek after the Lord, are equipped with love that can melt away any negativity and any weapon formed against you! You, who remain in faith and in prayer, have the gift of a sound mind- to make decisions, judgments and plans in the midst of it all.  When it snows, you have the option to brave it, without fear!

This morning, as the Weather Channel catches us all up on the aftermath of this weekend, I imagine quite a few of us will be leaving our homes with the case of cabin fever. The malls will be packed, Starbucks will be ridiculous and driveways will be shoveled- breaking way for the new week. I want to encourage you to do the same, within your heart! Ask the Lord to help you identify any fears that need to be shoveled away. Pray for the confidence you need to face any future storms, head on, or the bravery needed to deal with the aftermath of any past storms that you’ve had to face. Consider your perspective and look for the beauty in it all! Not every storm is disastrous; sometimes, they can leave us with a little shimmering glimpse of God’s goodness!

Fear Not!

~Pearls