It is a very dark and cloudy day here. Weather forecasters are predicting storms again today, perhaps violent weather. On Friday of last week, a tornado hit downtown Atlanta, wreaking millions of dollars of damage to homes and office buildings. Windows splintered into thousands of tiny, sparkling shards before raining down on the concrete and asphalt below. Homes were rent in two, some collapsed completely as though they were made of toothpicks held together with nothing more than a rubber band.
On the opposite side of the weather spectrum, we had a beautiful “snow day” one Saturday in January. Snow began to fall in the early hours of daylight and gently drifted towards the ground all day long. Everything was covered in pristine white snow. It was gorgeous – watching the individual, lacy flakes fall to the ground and equally as stunning to watch millions of flakes race each other to the earth.
Late in the afternoon, I bundled up in my coat and gloves and went outside to take pictures. Our garden gnomes’ red, perky hats were now white, covered with thousands of tiny flakes, making the gnomes look like miniature Santas. The ceramic frogs, who greet our guests, normally don’t wear hats. But on this day, their hats were also white and their grins as broad as ever as they enjoyed being a feature photo. Branches full of snow-capped berries leaned heavily towards the ground. Tall, brown, leafless trees were dressed in white coats, limbs stretched to their limit with the weight of the snow.
A snowfall brings with it a quietness and peace that cannot be found in any other weather system. There is a beauty and serenity that falls upon the viewer. Even when children are outside throwing snowballs and building snowmen, one can look past their activities and close out their laughter and revel in the beauty of God’s handiworks. One can take in the quietness and hear God’s whisper. He displays His creativity through each snowflake as no two snowflakes are alike.
God displays His awesome power through every flash of lightening, every crack of thunder I may hear in the storms that approach even now. He speaks in the boom and crackle of the storm and He speaks in the quiet that follows the storm. In fact, God speaks to us through every weather system and season He created.
We can look out our window every single moment of every day and we see God’s creation and God speaks to us. He speaks of beauty through the vibrant flowers that bloom each spring. Beauty and warmth come to us through the summer sun. The multi-colored leaves in the fall remind us of God’s artistic flair. Winter brings with it the time of rest for much of God’s creation so that when spring arrives, new life bursts forth in creation.
Weather, nature – all are from God and He speaks to us through all of His creation!
(c) 2008 Edwina E. Cowgill
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