Treasures of The Snow by Donna Bucher
All my life, winter sat at the bottom of my favorite season’s list. Autumn, by far holds first place in my seasonal heart. Polling friends, family and colleagues about their favorite season, winter popped up more than I expected. Since then, keeping an open mind about winter, my determination leads me in discovering its uniqueness. Though undeveloped, my winter journey of discovery begins with the treasures of the snow.
Winter offers more than snow, and with joy, I imbibe not only the beauty but the mystery of winter so far. I credit an email discussion with my brother for an astonishing realization of the beauty of each and all of the seasons. His comments on winter hauntingly companion my thoughts these days. While discussing autumn, which likewise holds first place in his seasonal heart, he delightfully described each season’s own uniqueness.
THE TREASURES OF WINTER
As my brother spoke of winter, it seemed as though I saw it for the first time through his eyes. Join me as I listen yet again.
“Perhaps oddly, I see winter as the beginning. The vibrant life
rendered during the preceding seasons surrenders itself to nourish
that which will come yet again. Winter may be the most noble of all
the seasons. It is a time of sacrifice. How can there be life without
death? We cannot even feed ourselves unless something dies. This
being said, winter is not bleak to me. It comes with its own unique
beauty. I particularly love the stillness present beneath the high
gray ceiling of clouds just before a snowstorm and then the snow
covered leafless trees after the snowfall. “
My oft meditations of his words quoted here developed a longing for understanding this misunderstood season. Considering the expressed pleasure of his walks on even the coldest days, I resolved to start there. At the outset, I esteemed the walks as a bit of an endurance test. But to my astonishment, after a short time, I eagerly anticipated each day’s outing. In fact, I relished winter’s daily invite so much, I added an evening walk.
For one who has eyes to see, winter proffers a quiet, noble beauty. A beauty few linger to appreciate. The eyes that once saw barrenness, caress views of placidity, the reposeful stillness of work at rest. Gazing upon the remnants of the once-living, I am reminded new life only awaits the beckon of spring’s call. While we wait for the vivid colors of spring to appear, winter bestows magnificent layers of browns, grays, and whites. The perfect backdrop for glimpsing cardinals at the birdfeeder!
HIDDEN TREASURES
Continuing my winter meditations, I stumbled across a Bible verse not unfamiliar, but one void of much attention by me. Traveling through the Bible chronologically, I visited the Book of Job. Towards the end of the book, Job has the disconcerting privilege of receiving his requested “answer from God”. God proceeds in asking Job a series of questions designed to show God’s omnipotence, omniscience and magnificence. Job appropriately concludes he “spoke without knowledge” (Job 34:35) and “repents in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). But among the many questions, God asks during His inquisition of Job, He asks, “Have you entered into the treasures of the snow?…” (Job 38:22)
Without going down a rabbit hole, the word translated “treasures” in the KJV, is translated “storehouses” in other versions. In old English, a better word was “treasuries”, which indicated a place where treasures or valuables were “stored”. This is consistent in Hebrew. God appears to imply in the passage the existence of hidden or stored “treasures” related to snow. After an exhaustive study of the words, I inaugurated a search for the “treasures of the snow”. The completeness of my education on winter must include this gift unique to the season.
THE TREASURES OF THE SNOW
Fresh snowfall is nothing short of magical! As my brother mentioned above, a stillness announces the coming of this treasure. No one dare denies the majesty of a pure fallen snow, as it clings to the trees and sparkles in the morning sunrise. But is its splendor intrinsic only to its appearance? Come, enter into the treasures of the snow with me.
To truly enter into the treasures of winter you must approach it as it is, not as you wish it to be. Mindfully viewing the season as God created it, fully experiencing winter with all of your senses. As I set aside my preconceived notions of winter, I encountered it in a fresh way. Freeing my awareness while embracing winter in its simplest form, opened my eyes to its mysteries, magic, and beauty.
God, the Master Artist, created each season with its own intrinsic beauty, color palette, and function. Each season showcases His glory in unique ways. Yes, winter is the noblest of seasons, for in its strength of sacrifice to forge new life, it portrays the greatest sacrifice ever made.
Donna is a women’s ministry leader, teacher, speaker, retired missionary, CASA volunteer, experienced counselor, and hospice and palliative care support personnel. Founder of Serenity in Suffering blog, where she shares articles, resources, and counseling designed to help you grow personally and find spiritual intimacy with Christ. Her writings have appeared in various online sites as well as print devotional journals.