Into the Snow

Taken from a stopped position. Please do not take pictures while driving.

People might think me weird or strange. This isn't anything new. After all, I was homeschooled. In all seriousness, there are little things about me that aren't normal. Things that make people scratch their head in wonder. My obsession with puns comes to mind. But there may be one thing about me that rises above the weirdness of my pun obsession. It may be weirder than the social awkwardness of a homeschooler (own your weirdness, it's fantastic). It may be the weirdest thing about me... I love driving in the snow.

I do, of course, know- as all sane people do- that driving in the snow is incredibly dangerous. It's much easier to slide off the road or hit a patch of ice, causing real damage. I realize all this. It does not escape me that driving in snow requires an incredible amount of concentration to navigate the dangers of the road. But it does not also escape me the beauty of the snow-covered trees and fields that blanket the surroundings with a soft whiteness, protecting it until it wakes for spring.

There is a certain dangerous beauty with driving through the snow. It's is evident by covering the earth in its blanket, but there is also the danger of ice hidden on the road that present challenges for motorist that they need to be aware. Where there is danger, there is beauty. It is a tension that one might try to avoid if given the opportunity. When we have to go out, we often find ourselves gripping the steering wheel a little harder than usual, and hyper focusing on the possibility of sliding off the road. These are real possibilities.

There is a certain dangerous beauty with driving through the snow.

One of my favorite passages is written by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah writes:

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. ~ Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)

There is beauty to the imagery to this passage. Salvation is not just the act of being made clean or pure. The image of snow is used to show purity, life, renewal, and beauty. Isn't it interesting that God chose to use snow instead of anything else? I mean, let's be real, God could have used flowers, and it would communicate the same idea of the snow. He could have used the image of a sunset, no danger whatsoever, but he chose to use the image of snow.

While snow has its beauty, it can also be quite dangerous. One wrong misstep can lead to injury. Sometimes driving on snow covered roads means a lot of slipping and sliding. Driving on snow covered roads are not easy, and neither is the Christian life. We have been made new, purified, our sins have been forgiven, but that does not mean we don't or won't struggle. It doesn't mean we won't from time to time slip and fall, despite how beautiful our new life is. The Christian life doesn't work like that.

Driving on snow covered roads are not easy, and neither is the Christian life.

While the Christian life is beautiful, reminding us constantly how we've been redeemed and our sins taken away, it doesn't make our struggles disappear. In fact, when we say "yes" to Jesus, we might face even more issues than before. Jesus promises this. As he spent his last evening with his disciples, Jesus promised that on this side of heaven they would go through difficult situations, but they could find joy that He had overcome every difficult situation (John 16:33). We have beauty, but we also have the reality of the danger of the ice on the road. It's the tension we live as Christians.

Enjoying driving in the snow is weird. It may be a little odd that I enjoy something can potentially kill me. And yet, when I acknowledge the danger but dwell on the beauty of my surroundings, suddenly driving in the snow doesn't feel so scary. You will fall, same as me, but when we also see the beauty of the snow, or our salvation, suddenly we can appreciate the snow so much more. Suddenly we're not focused on failing but appreciating the grace that is found in Jesus Christ. Yes, the snow can be dangerous, but we can also appreciate its beauty if we look for it.