Look up at the miracle of the falling snow,–
the air a dizzy maze of whirling, eddying flakes,
noiselessly transforming the world,
the exquisite crystals dropping in ditch and gutter,
and disguising in the same suit of spotless livery
all objects upon which they fall.
~John Burroughs
Yesterday was a double, good whammy kind of day, and the whamminess began and ended in the heavens. Right after first light little, bitty snow flakes began to fall, and by noon the frigid, gray day had been punctuated with a lovely smattering of snow. The north wind was a contributor in the snowscapade because at times it seemed to be blowing down even more of the “exquisite crystals” from the white clouds of heaven’s expanse. The second whammy played out when sparkling stars and a slender slice of the ancient moon punctuated heaven’s then blackened dome and prettified to a greater extent the frosting of snow on the ground.
Most nights I go for a short walk before bedtime. Walking alone at 9 or 10 o’clock at night is a delicious experience. The streets are empty of traffic and most folks are inside watching TV or getting ready for bed. Especially in wintertime for some reason, it feels like I’m the only one left in the universe except for God. And His presence is so large and close I feel like I could just extend my hand and feel it slip into His. When I see my exhaling breath as one can when it’s terribly cold, I feel as if He’s just breathed those first breaths of life into me once again. The air is so cold and crisp and invigorating, and the solitude is filled with His holy peacefulness.
–then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. ~Genesis 2:7 ✝