God’s gift . . .

Unique as a Snowflake 

God’s artistry—His creativity, originality, skillfulness—is always in season . . . I love this statement . . . it takes a little thought, but God’s creations are visible throughout all seasons—nature’s times (dormancy, growth, full blooming, and the return to colder weather) to the seasons of our lives—are all part of God’s handiwork, and each uniquely intricate and beautiful in its own way. 

With winter comes the opportunities for fresh beginnings and transformation, often symbolized by the snowflake . . . Snowflakes are intricate, beautiful,  unique works of art! . . . From their luminous appearance to their fascinating formation, the snowflake is a powerful symbol of the beauty and intention of God’s creativity —a testament to God’s artistic giftedness. 

According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration),  “A snowflake begins to form when an extremely cold-water droplet freezes onto a pollen or dust particle in the sky creating an ice crystal . . . As the ice crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes onto the primary crystal, building new crystals.” 

This process (crystallization) is where water vapor freezes directly into a six-sided ice crystal . . . this forms intricate, symmetrical patterns because of the hexagonal (six-sided) arrangement of water molecules (H₂O) . . . Flakes continue developing and growing on their descent to the ground creating clean, snowy landscapes. 

“Purify me from my sins with hyssop, and I shall be clean.
    Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
Psalm 51:7 

In the Bible, snow symbolizes purity, spiritual cleanliness, and forgiveness from sin . . . By simply falling to the earth, a snowflake adds beauty to its surroundings and speaks in whispers of the glory of God . . . as we picture the gently falling snowflakes covering the dirt, mud, and gloominess of winter, we pray that God will prepare our hearts to accept the cleansing, forgiving love God provides that will wash away the muck and dirt in our lives. 

“‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord.
‘Though your sins be scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.’”
Isaiah 1:18a 

INSIGHT . . .

Fingerprints and Snowflakes 

Snowflakes, unique, six-sided ice crystals formed from water vapor in clouds, appear white because they scatter light . . . Each snowflake's journey through varying temperatures and humidity creates unique complexities, making identical ones extremely rare . . . unimaginable, unfathomable—this is just one of the millions of details of God’s handiwork.  

On top of that—the temporary nature of a snowflake reminds us to appreciate life's delicate and momentary beauty . . . Purity, forgiveness, and the miracle of creation . . . wonder, peace, seasonal celebration, and hope . . . a lot of facets of life packed into this tiny crystal.  

Every crystal is a masterpiece of design and no one design is ever repeated . . . a perfect reminder—if God took so much care in creating a snowflake, think about the care that God took in creating us . . . Each one of us is a masterpiece of God’s creation just like a snowflake, and not one of us is ever repeated . . . Every person is unique . . .  No two people are exactly alike  . . . Of all the millions of people who have lived or ever will live, no one else will ever be exactly like you or me . . . each of us is unique and special to God. 

And, as God was creating us, each of us has been given unique fingerprints designs  . . .  Fingerprints, those intricate patterns, unique ridges and valleys on our fingertips, that make up our fingerprints  . . . they are formed when we are in the womb and remain unchanged throughout our lives . . . even identical twins have differences in their fingerprints! 

Just as no two fingerprints are alike, no two individuals are the same . . . Our fingerprints serve as that reminder that we are unique . . . with our own set of strengths, weaknesses, and experiences . . . Our fingerprints are a testament to the beauty of diversity and the complexity of the human spirit . . . In a world that often seeks conformity, our fingerprints remind us to embrace our distinctiveness and uniqueness.  

“[God] shaped each of us, inside and out . . .
He knitted us together in our mothers’ wombs, long before we took our first breath . . .
we praise Him because we are fearfully and wonderfully made,
and we know all His works are wonderful.”
From Psalm 139:13-18

“Because we are fearfully and wonderfully made,” we should be filled with wonder and awe and be grateful deep within our souls . . . Are you? . . . God’s works in us are amazing  . . . we are His unique creation . . . God has even approached the smallest details with excellence (the hairs on your head, the sparkle in your eyes, the sound of your voice, the beating of your heart) . . . Nothing was hidden from God as He created each of us.

Each of us . . . tall/short . . . wide/narrow . . . thick hair/thin hair/no hair. . . light skin/dark skin . . . our differences, like snowflakes, make every one of us uniquely created by our Father . . . Each of us is WONDERFULLY MADE, and that is good! 

Everything that is good is God;
whatever goodness we experience in this life
is truly a taste of God, for it is God.
(Julian of Norwich) 

INVITATION—TO TALK WITH GOD . . . 

“For we are God's masterpiece, the product of His hand,
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do good things He planned for us long ago."”
Ephesians 2:10 

Everyone is God’s handiwork . . . Allow those words to sink into your heart and soul . . . Imagine, the God who created the heavens and the earth and everything within them, also created you. 

The God who created the mountains and rivers, the God who created the whales and the ants, took special care to create you . . . He made us with His own hands and watched over every detail.  

God says we’re no accident . . . You are not an accident but intentionally made by God. . . . He purposely created every one of us because He loves us and wants us to have a relationship with Him . . . as believers we are God's special creations . . . We all have different personalities, different abilities, and different gifts and desires . . .  The original Greek word for "masterpiece," means "work of art" or "poem," emphasizing our unique beauty and expression of God's glory . . . You are a unique, valuable work of art, a beautiful poem of God's design.  

When God created us, He made us exactly the way He planned, but we still have a lot to learn about accepting ourselves and others as God’s perfect creations.  

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wished you were different? . . . I think we all have tendencies to think, “Oh, I wish I looked this way--I wish I had this gift--I wish I had what that person has.” . . . but God created you just the way He wanted you.   

Do you believe that God created each person on this earth and that each person is valuable? . . . what about those with special needs, disabilities, handicaps?  

Do you believe God loves each of His children that He created? . . . even if each child is not perfect in our eyes, do you believe that each of His children is perfect in His eyes? 

Are you able to care about, love, have patience with, teach and work with someone who is uniquely different? . . . Would you stand up for each of these children of God when they need extra help or are being bullied?  

So then why are you so hard on yourself? . . . Why do you question the way you look, your worth, if anyone loves you, or cares about you . . . if you’re too young, growing older, too slow, too—fill-in-the- blank? . . . What does it matter? . . . Believe God created you! 

These are a lot of questions to talk with God about, to look deep into your heart about, and to pray about . . . Take time to slow down and consider each of these thoughts through prayer. 

We need to see the good hand of God creating every single person fearfully and wonderfully, including ourselves  . . . God loves you just the way you are—I love you just the way you are . . . When you begin to “put yourself down,” or question God’s purpose for you—stop and realize you have been fearfully and wonderfully made by God himself.

ILLUMINATION . . .

In 1923, Wilson Bentley captured the first-ever successful images of a single snowflake . . . Through trial and error, Bentley perfected a technique to photograph crystals through a microscope, hoping to highlight the beauty of nature and the uniqueness of each flake. 

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 . . . wonders of God's handiwork are to be found
in the tiniest details of all He has made.
(Wilson Bentley) 

Stop and think about this for a moment . . . Bentley saw something for the first time about God’s creation that no one else had seen, but God always knew it was there, since the beginning of time—what an awesome God! 

It was 1923 and technology was nothing compared to today . . . What if you were Wilson Bentley? . . . What if you had discovered this tiny miracle that no one had seen before? . . . How would you feel to be given the chance to look so deeply into God’s created universe?  

When was the last time you were filled with surprise and wonder at the awesomeness of something God created?

What part of God’s creation brings you to that feeling of “Wow!” even now? 

Within God's creation, we  can see beauty everywhere we look . . . We can see the beauty of a snowfall, but for thousands of years no human had observed the beauty of an individual snowflake . . . But God knew it was there, could see this beauty all along . . . Learn to appreciate beauty in nature, including the beautiful, uniqueness of yourself . . . and appreciate and thank God for it all. 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11 

INSPIRATION—PRAYING THROUGH MUSIC . . . 

Where words fail, music speaks.
(Hans Christian Andersen) 

I encourage you to take time to listen to any or all the songs below . . . there is no right or wrong style of music—it is what speaks to you . . . listen to the melody and the lyrics and feel the response of your heart to what God wants you to hear . . . and I do understand that music doesn’t speak to everyone . . . and that is okay too. 

♪♬♪ Current . . .  Fingerprints of God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWtbq4tl1w8&list=RDIWtbq4tl1w8&start_radio=1 

♪♬♪ Traditional . . . Just As I Am (Jesus Take All of Me)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mK3Pz06gw&list=RDF6mK3Pz06gw&start_radio=1 

INTO EACH DAY AHEAD . . .  

Unique individual snowflakes blend together to create a beautiful sight of purity and cleanliness . . . when we combine unique individuals, working together with a common focus for the glory and work of God, we can also create a beautiful sight . . . by being the hands and feet of Christ, sharing the love of Christ, and spreading God’s Word to all.

We are very unique, and God has a specific plan and purposes for each one of us  . . . Remember, God gave us a fingerprint that no one else has, and we can leave an imprint in this world that no one else can . . .   and He also lets us see the unique beauty in a snowflake so that we can see the beauty of uniqueness in others . . . Be kind to one another, love one another, encourage one another, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever you go. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for creating each of us uniquely in Your image.
Help us to love and appreciate the person You made each of us to be,
and to see ourselves through Your loving eyes.
And Lord,  use us to make a difference in the lives around us
and to help others to see You in the beauty of Your creation. —Amen.

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Prayer Paths (written by Dr. Debbie Parcel)
is a weekly email letter designed to “fuel”
your active prayer life, help you stay engaged in
focused prayer, and encourage a
growing relationship with our Triune God. 

To receive Prayer Paths by email each week—send a request,
with your name and email,
to BarnabasRoad2025@gmail.com 

(Prayer Paths is offered through Barnabas Road Ministries)