I’ve seen a lot of snow boots that last two days—of course, that’s because we have quite a bit of snow.  Even after the storm, it’s been cold enough that all the snow that hasn’t melted from the work of the salt trucks is still around. 

It got me wondering: What do you think the snow is for?  I mean, sure, a number of you probably think snow is for cancelling school; or for sledding; or for building igloos or snowmen.  But what purpose does it serve, really?

Some will talk of how it serves as a thermal layer and then irrigation for crops; others will note its importance to certain plant and animal habitats.  But while those may be some of the ancillary functions of snow, it doesn’t really explain what it is for…  Why do the soft white crystalline flakes sometimes cover our world in winter?

If you check the Bible, there are no accounts of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt on skis or snowshoes.  But it does mention snow a number of times—and usually using the simile, “as white as snow.”  It is the example of perfect cleanliness; absolute purity; total innocence.

I wonder: for all the uses of snow—from sledding to irrigation—perhaps what it is really for is to tell us something; to communicate.  Perhaps the thing we’re supposed to do with snow, above all, is simply to look at it, and to marvel at its undefiled beauty…

…and for children to pray for more snow days, of course.

Enjoy the snow while it lasts…and have a wonderful day.