Was definitely a winter day today. When I walked Penelope early morning the cold air bit my hands, put its icy fingers on my face and ears. The sky was winter blue, cloudless and clear. And the beautiful glorious sunshine trying to warm up the earth, kissing the four little dandelions’ blooms, yellow as Crayola crayons, was smiling down on me and Penelope. Kat was prissing around in the yard watching to be sure she was the first pet back to the porch steps.

The early birds, cardinals, titmice, and chickadees, were sitting erect on the power lines taking a sun bath, lined up like metal birds in a country carnival shooting game booth. I saw a flock of migrating Baltimore orioles circle the yard, landing high in the barren limbs of the old oak. They are so pretty to watch when the fly in their synchronized sky dances. They love the berries of the holly trees in the neighborhood.

Back in the house hunkered down under my cardinal blanket, Penelope asleep in my lap, I watched a fat little titmouse enjoying the sunshine, warming his slate gray self as the cool breeze ruffled his soldier’s feather crest. The sun was beaming straight down on the red bird feeder and he sat still at attention for several minutes.

I’ve been doing a snow dance for several days, hoping to charm Mother Nature into sending snowflakes and not freezing rain. Don’t want folks to have wrecks or fall down on the icy sidewalks. Just want to watch those white flakes from heaven float softly down through my bamboo forest and my old oak limbs. I love throwing popcorn on the snow for my birds friends. My weather app says “total snow and sleet accumulations between 2 and 4 inches.” So we’ll see what happens.

“Snowflakes are pretty patterns etched in water’s dreams.” — Anthony T. Hincks

In Bible scripture snow is used as a metaphor for God’s purity. Jesus is described as having hair “white as snow” in Revelation. Scripture compares the whiteness of the snow and its ability to cover the ground to God’s forgiveness covering our sins. Isaiah 1:18 reads, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Snow is a symbol of cleanness in biblical scripture, too. “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow,” Psalms 51:7.

Nothing is as white as the snow as it covers the earth, hiding all her imperfections. Snow is silent as it gently falls reminding us of God’s gentleness as he covers us with his Holy Spirit, bringing us peace and joy. God cleanses us of our sins and when we repent and accept God’s forgiveness our sins are washed away and we become pure as the snow.

When we rise and look out the window at a snowy landscape let’s remember God and thank him for washing our sins away. When God sends a snow day, maybe he thinks the world needs a day to slow down, a day off to reflect on our many blessings. Psalms 147:16 says, “He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.” Just as the snow melts and waters the land, God covers us with his blanket of grace, keeps us warm with the security of our faith, melts our fears away with his love.

When God sends the cold wind and snow flurries our way and we feel our prayers are unanswered, we just have to have patience to trust in his purpose for our lives. God is good and knows what’s best for us.

“A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder.” — Susan Orlean