Snow

Snow isn't something I'm too familiar with. I was born in the dead of January, in Colorado. But within months of being born, my mom and dad decided to move to the Central Valley of California. But for as long as I can remember, my mom always missed the snow, and my dad would always talk about it. I grew up wishing for snow, but where we are, it happens about once every thirty years.


When I had just turned ten, I had had enough of hearing about snow. I wanted the real deal. Being a young child, I prayed with my mom and dad every night before bed. And you better believe, every night for what felt like months, but was probably only a couple of weeks, I diligently prayed for the thing I wanted most. Snow.

I don't want to throw my dad under the bus, but in this sense, it's really relevant to the story. One very specific night, I prayed my usual "And God, please make it snow here." And my dad quietly chuckled. I was super offended. He simply replied, "Sweetie, I understand how much you want it to snow, but it just doesn't happen around here. We don't get snow." I believe my reply was something along the lines of "Well, I asked God and God can make anything happen, even snow."

At about 5 am the next morning (January 25, 1999...I remember dates like nobodies business), I woke up to my dad looking out the window and laughing. I got up and looked outside. The ground was white. The cars were white. It was grey and there was something white falling from the sky.

God had made it snow.

I remember three specific things from this day. I remember setting out to make the biggest snowball I could; I remember my rottweiler sticking her head, face first, into the snow and running around completely blindly; and I remember the wonder of knowing that God really could do anything.

This memory came to me today, I don't know why, but maybe just because I've seen God do so many amazing things this last year. But I've never thought about the faith I had during this whole time. I had that pure, innocent, childlike faith that God could do anything, and that anything was possible through him. No one had to teach me that, I had just heard it my whole life and had no problem believing it.

So what changes in life? What makes us turn from that childhood awe of believing (with zero doubt) that God can make anything happen....to a person who has to believe that they believe in God's ability, and often doesn't recognize what God has really done? Now, I've learned that when God answers prayer, he answers it according to His will, not mine. He answers with what he knows is best for me, not what I think is best for me. But I'll be honest, half the time when I ask God for something or to do something, it's almost in passing, and not with real, fervent prayer. I don't doubt that he'll follow through...but do I believe it with my whole heart?

I wish I could answer yes all the time. But maybe because he has shown himself to be faithful so often in my life, I can start making a true effort to pray with purpose. To pray for what is best in my life, not what I want or think I need in my life.

God made it snow in the Central Valley. Anything can happen.