In Winter

Today we awoke to find the world awash in radiant white everywhere.  Our first true snow fall of the winter and a rare occurrence in these parts.  You can go a couple of winters here without seeing snow. Which always makes me appreciate its beauty when do receive a snow fall.

There is something about winter that appeals to me.  I love that is is the least demanding time of year.  There is far less to "do" and therefore more time to just "be".   The other seasons are full of busy work.and activity  Spring with yard work and planting and spring cleaning.  Summer with kids out of school, trying to escape the heat, trips and traveling.  Fall with leaves to deal with every weekend, school resuming, the headlong rush into the holiday season.  Winter is different.  It is a time of dormancy.  It is a time for quiet and stillness.  When the weather is bad, things tend to grind to a halt and any plans you have made must be scrapped.  This probably annoys most people.  I always see it as a gift.  The gift of a day to do whatever I want, rather than what I was supposed to be doing.

Being naturally prone to introspection I need down time.  I need time to think, to process, to write, to reflect on things, to read.  One of my friends likes to say we are human "beings" not human "doings", though this isn't how most of us live.  In this culture we live to "do".  If you are not "doing" something there is an unspoken accusation that you are somehow shirking your responsibilities.  To which I often wish to respond "Even the Almighty rested on the 7th day!".  If that was good enough for Him, why is it that we think we know better?

I think a time of dormancy is necessary. It was designed by God to prepare us for the tasks ahead.  Trees need to rest in barenness before they push out their budding leaves in the spring.  When we push through our season of dormancy and fill it up with frenetic activity it is a bit like forcing things to bloom in unnatural conditions, such as those produced in a hot house. Sort of how we trick pointsettias into blooming for Christmas.  Has anyone ever seen a poinsettia still alive by Valentine's Day?  I didn't think so!

So for the next two months I intend to enjoy my dormant season. It will end soon enough.  Spring with all its insistent demands and alluring beauty is just around the corner.  I'm going to enjoy the bleak midwinter while it lasts.  Snow upon snow.  Barren landscape and lifeless trees limbs.  The stark beauty of this season of dormancy feeds my soul by giving me permission to just be.   Shalom!