Do you realize the intricate beauty falling around you?
"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated., When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."
Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley 1925
I went for a walk the other night. It was snowing. And while this might not be a shocker, especially for those who happen to live in the Wheaton area this time of year, it seems to me that a lot of the time its the average routine things that happen during the day that sometimes carry the most meaning. It was late at night and every once in a while I would either be passed by a car or would pass a streetlight. In both instances, for a few moments the biting cold of the night would give way. In its place would be snowflakes falling lazily and lightly.
Snowflakes are infinitely complex and intricate creations. No two snowflakes are alike, which is rather shocking if you think about the absolute volume of even an inch of snow. Snowflakes are also infinitely fragile. One breath was enough to melt the snowflakes that rested upon my hand.
So as I pondered these facts I found myself standing at the end of a rather long street staring up at a rather large house. As I stood there under a street light watching the snow fall around me I couldn't help but think about all the energy and work that went into making that house a home. Someone's livelihood is wrapped up in creating that place. Hours of work a week, years of planning and decisions, and countless hopes and fears. And yet, it wouldn't take much for all of it to come crashing down. Shake the earth hard enough, or blow a wind strong enough and the entire structure could collapse.
Our carefully constructed lives are so fragile. In the scriptures, James likens our lives to a vapor, "which appears for a little while and then vanishes."
And yet, like the snowflakes that were falling all around me each life is unique, precious, and beautiful.
Thoughts about life and its manifestations have been repeatedly coming up in my mind, and I figure the main reason for that is that I'm about to graduate and start living it on my own... no safety net, no supervision. Fear is a byproduct of all that thinking, but as I stood there that night and looked at that house I had this funny feeling that everything was going to be okay. Is life fragile? Yes. But its also a beautiful thing to watch unfold. Everytime I talk to my parents about my post grad plans or the struggles I'm having they get this look on their face that reminds me of some kid watching his favorite cartoon.
While snowflakes and life might be fragile, they sure are beautiful to watch.
