4 ways snow (really does) glorify God

February 25, 2015 | Michael Foust | Posted in Parents of infants, Parents of toddlers, Parents of young children | Tagged glorify god, Martin Luther, snow, snow glorifies god, winter

4 ways snow (really does) glorify God

For most of my life, snow was in the same category as kangaroos, koala bears and the hilarious king penguin. That is, I knew it existed and I sure would like to see it someday, but for the most part it was relegated to television.

Well, not entirely, but you get my point.

Where I grew up in the South, a snow day was a once-every-two-year event, with perhaps 2-3 inches of accumulation that closed school for several days and back country roads for a week. As a child, the formula was simple: snow = several days out of school = fun.

I still like snow, but my enjoyment has been somewhat tempered. That happens when you and your family move to a Midwest location in the middle of the worst winter in years. That first winter we received 50 inches of snow in about two and a half months, not to mention a blizzard warning on one night and a -45 degree Fahrenheit wind chill on another night (yes, seriously).

I’ve been on both sides of the snow “fence.” I still enjoy sledding in it and I really do enjoy working outside on a snowy weekend with my oldest son. I even like hiking in it. But I no longer love snow – particularly when it falls on a weekday.

My changing perspective on snow has led me to wonder: How does snow reflect God’s glory? It’s one of the most beautiful parts of God’s creation, but so many people I respect – people who love the Lord – hate it. And at times, I do, too.

It’s easy to see God’s glory during the spring, but what about winter, when we’re surrounded by the white stuff in the midst of sub-freezing temps?

Well, snow really does reflect God’s glory – in every way imaginable. Here are four ways:
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3 ways spring can teach your kids about Christ

April 11, 2014 | Michael Foust | Posted in Parents of infants, Parents of toddlers, Parents of young children | Tagged Children, lessons from Easter, parallels, snow, spiritual lessons from spring, spring, spring brings hope, spring brings joy, spring brings life, winter

My 6-year-old son enjoys snow, but even he couldn’t handle what we saw outside our window recently.

We had endured a winter that saw 50 inches of snow, when, finally, spring arrived, melting everything in sight. We played on the grass. We rode bikes down the road. We even started the lawnmower. The temperature was approaching 60 degrees.

Then it happened. We awoke one morning, looked out the window, and just stared in disbelief. The landscape was again covered with snow – about half an inch by my estimation.

During winter, we’re
like the resourceful farm kids
who play ball with a pig bladder.
There’s just got to be
something better, right?

I was amused, knowing the midday sun would take care of it. He, though, was distraught. He ran to his room, jumped in his bed, buried his head under his cover, and started crying. This is the same child who, three months earlier, was telling me how much he loved the snow – how living in a colder climate was “so much fun” because he could sled every day. But even he couldn’t take any more of it.

God gave us the seasons for a reason, and my son was learning that the hard way, even if he didn’t understand fully the theological ramification.

It’s no accident that God raised His Son during the time when much of the world is thawing out. Winter and spring serve as a sort of living illustration of our faith, in several ways. For instance:
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4 great winter science experiments for awesome family fun (with videos)

March 9, 2014 | Michael Foust | Posted in Parents of toddlers, Parents of young children | Tagged boiling water, Children, family fun, freezes, glory of god, God, Mississippi river, Parents, science experiments, winter, winter science experiments

Scripture tells us that all of creation declares the glory of God, but many of us scratch our head and wonder, “Does that mean, winter, too?”

Of course it does. God was wise to give us variety in creation because it helps in our worship of Him.

For instance, we all enjoy scenic pictures of mountains and beaches, but what if the entire world was one big beach or one huge mountain range? As much as we think we’d enjoy it, we really wouldn’t. We’d soon grow bored and our sinful nature would lead us to say, “Is this all there really is in the world – one monotonous stretch of white sand?”

Consider the 24-hour day cycle. What if that wondrous starry night never ended or that beautiful sunny day went on and on? We’d rebel and start pouting, “God, I can’t sleep with all that sunshine!”

It would be the same with a week’s worth of steak suppers or lobster meals, and it’s the same with the seasons. Variety in creation is good for us. We see God’s glory on display in different ways, and about the time we grow tired of beautiful buttercups or red maple tree leaves or a stellar snowy landscape, God changes the scene and gives us a different reminder of His greatness. Winter makes us long for spring, and summer makes us long for fall, and on and on. Continue reading →