Not too long ago, I dreaded Winter.

I would look at my calendar and feel this knot begin to form in my stomach and rise to my throat.

The cold, dry, long, dark days of winter brought a sadness to my soul for many years.

Actually, I think there is a diagnosis for this now—SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a real thing!

Every day it felt like I was drudging through, counting down the days until Easter and the arrival of Spring.

However, my heart has recently shifted.

As I walked through my neighborhood a few days ago, I noticed the barren trees, the grass that had changed to a yellow-ish shade of brown, and the sky was pale and cloudy.

Suddenly, it seemed beautiful.

All of these things that I had hated for so long, suddenly became a welcoming friend.

Winter brings quiet.

Some animals hibernate, birds fly south, flowers stop blooming for a bit…

A quietness takes over the world.

A hush of dizzying activity.

Almost as if God is whispering, “sweet child, it is time to rest.”

The darker days make us long for our beds. The cold weather forces us to huddle inside with our loved ones.

Maybe this is why God created Winter.

To slow us down.

To re-connect with quiet and reflection.

To take a heart inventory and see where we may need to re-align.

Even the animals heed the call.

Maybe we should as well.

Quiet our hearts.

Quiet our minds.

Listen instead of talking.

Winter may be God’s whisper to our hearts to prepare us for the flurry of Spring and Summer.

“Be still and know that I am God”, Psalm 46:10

“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

When we quiet our hearts, when we quiet our activity, we are an open vessel to hear from God.

Are you familiar with Elijah? Listen to this passage of scripture found in 1 Kings 19:11-13…

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Wow.

A whisper.

God speaks in a whisper.

Listen, I know we cannot just lock ourselves in our rooms and escape the world, but there are some small and practical things I have found to help quiet my heart and mind.

-getting up a little earlier each day to be with Jesus. not a creature stirring, not even a mouse. ;)

-going on walks. long walks. without music. God’s Word tells us that He speaks through nature…”The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” Psalm 19:1

-turning off the radio in the car. yep. it’s weird but it works.

-less scrolling on my phone. less social media, less everything on my phone. huge, huge, huge way to quiet my heart.

-not over-committing. whew. this one can be tough for some of us. “let your yes be yes and your no be no.” Matthew 5:37

Friend, if Winter is not your favorite season, maybe we can find the good in this season and soak it in.

As I have grown older, I have realized that no season lasts forever. Eventually change comes. The sun comes back out and the world buzzes with activity again.

Let’s lean into this quieter season of Winter and emerge wiser and stronger when Spring comes.

taking a walk,

jill