CHILDHOOD DISCOVERY

One icy winter day when I was around eight or nine, I put on my heavy coat, tied my wool bandana tight under my chin and ventured outside.

My breath made cloudy puffs, and my nose tingled as the north-east wind swooshed around me.

I wandered up to the street where there was an old, rusty barrel with a thin layer of ice on top.

A few snowflakes were fluttering down and one landed on top of the barrel. Because the top of the barrel was dark with rust, the snowflake showed up very plainly. I was amazed to see something shaped like the ones we cut out of paper, but this was very small and lacy. I couldn't take my eyes off it and was sure it was the only snowflake ever to be shaped so perfectly. I have never forgotten this delightful experience.

Now here's some info you may not know. I didn't, until I researched it.

Wilson "Snowflake" Bently (1865-1931), a self educated farmer, attracted world attention with his pioneering work in the area of photomicrography, most notably his extensive work with snow crystals (commonly known as snowflakes). By adapting a microscope to a bellows camera, and years of trial and error, he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal in 1885.

He would go on to capture more than 5000 snowflakes during his lifetime, not finding any two alike. His snow crystal photomicrographs were acquired by colleges and universities throughout the world and he published many articles for magazines and journals including, Scientific American and National Geographic.

He said, "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. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated., When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."

Just imagine! Our Creator is still designing snowflakes for us, each one an original, like the babies He creates. Each one is His design, perfect in His eyes and loved beyone measure. This includes you and me.

We are so blessed! Thank you Jehovah God.

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