Loving Winter
“There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes: 3:1).
Oddly enough, I have grown to appreciate, even love, winter. Growing up in California, I never got to experience the four seasons. After moving to the mid-Atlantic, I immediately had a fondness for spring and fall, the seasons that usher in a dramatic shift from the season before.
The fresh greenery and burst of vibrant color in the spring revive the senses deprived by the bare branches and muted skies of winter. And the cool breezes and crisp mornings of fall are a welcome relief to bodies wilting from summer’s heat.
But along the way, I’ve become grateful for the emptiness of winter. On the surface, our gardens die, and the gray skies become stark and bleak. The cold, biting wind and snow become something we bundle up against and hurry through, rather than something that invites us into adventure and play.
The days are shorter and darker, and when the festivities of the Christmas season are over, we are faced with two more months of Ordinary time that seem to slog on. Yet winter is so critical for growth, especially in the spiritual life.
A Time to Grow in Virtue
Just as bulbs need a period of cold and darkness in order to bloom, and just as bread needs time to bake before it’s ready to be eaten, we need periods of quiet and rest before we can be fruitful. Winter invites us to take the time we would normally spend outside or in constant activity and turn it inward toward prayer, reflection, and contemplation.
It is the perfect time for taking stock of the past year, our highs and lows, and for considering where we need to make adjustments for the year ahead. It’s also the perfect time to draw closer to the Word of God, soaking up its wisdom and listening to what truth it is speaking in our lives.
Winter can also help cultivate wonderful virtues, as we wait for new life in spring with patience and hope. The deprivation of winter also helps us grow in humility. It is a continual reminder of our littleness. When we can’t drive in a snowstorm or heat our houses in a power outage, our dependence on God’s Providence becomes even more clear than in the heady days of summer.
This is even more true when we experience a spiritual winter, or a season of loneliness or loss. That can teach us more about who we are and who God is than a whole lifetime of spring parties.
It is during our physical and spiritual winters that we realize just how temporary and fleeting the world can be – and how permanent and faithful God is.
Preparing Your Soul to Bear Fruit
As Isaiah says, “The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
It is often during winter, without the distractions and temptations of spring and fall, that I can find space to rest and focus on my relationship with the Lord. I become more like a little child, asking for help with basic things, less sure of my own ability and less willing to rely on myself alone.
Just imagine if we never went through a winter, and thus never had an opportunity to ask for God’s help or be reminded of His omnipotence! It may at first seem like a blessing, but it might soon lead us down a dangerous path of self-sufficiency and forgetfulness of God.
And so, oddly enough, I do love winter. In the stillness and the quiet and the cold, I know something new is germinating within my soul, and that, with the proper care, it will emerge in due time in the spring.
As winter lingers, perhaps you can ask yourself where you are being invited to slow down and make room for God’s work. What can you change in this season so that when spring comes, your soul will be ready to bear fruit?
Yvonne Siu Turner has contributed to White House initiatives, national social impact marketing campaigns, and has written copy for Fortune 500 companies, solopreneurs, and everyone in between. She offers copywriting, editing, and content marketing services to purpose-oriented and community-minded brands. She is also a Master Catechist and volunteers with her parish’s OCIA program. She lives in Alexandria, VA with her husband and son. Learn more at www.yvonneturnercopy.com.