Winter.
A time of cold, and rain. The grey clouds, cold weather and shorter days calls for bunkering down in our cosy homes with a bowl of hot soup.
Winter can be a time of withdrawal, a time of isolation, a time of hibernation.
We often experience winter as a time that we just want to be over, to get out of. We are looking forward to the sun and so we neglect to see the beauty in the rain.
Of course, as we have seasons in nature so we have seasons in life. A winter season may be characterised by hardship, a time of stormy relationships and broken dreams. Or it could be a season of unending greyness and dullness. It can feel like a time of isolation from our family and friends and even from our God.
I have found that these spiritual winters are often when God feels most distant. It is in this season that I tend to view him as a passive God watching from far away.
But it is useful to remember that he is always an active God, covering us with his love and giving us his peace. There is a reason he is called ‘Emmanuel’ meaning ‘God with us’. He is present even when he feels distant. What’s more he gets emotional over us; he watches over us, smiles over us, and he sings over us.
So, this winter I have written this devotional series as a reminder of how he is present with us in those winter seasons, even when we can feel that he is so very far away.
All the posts for this series are linked here. Join me as we investigate how he is “present with us” as we journey through this winter.
Jodie
I just sat down with a cup of tea, the rain pouring down outside, and this popped up in my Bloglovin’ feed. Perfectly timed! What a lovely read as Winter bears down around me 🙂
(Truth be told, I am actually a real lover of Winter time)
It is wild outside isn’t it! But winter brings with it a slowness that allows reflection and contemplation. I hope this devotion allows you to do that.
In those times when God seems distant, we need our faith to strengthen us and that is when our faith grows and we become more and more grounded in His Word, because that is always with us even when God doesn’t seem to be! I am not a winter person, but I enjoy my short periods of hibernation during the seemingly long rainy times! I love soups and stews and crocheting and my electric blanket!!! And I love feeding the birds who come because there isn’t much to eat in their natural world – my ibis called Ivan, the family of magpies, the pair of butcherbirds who take food from my hand, the bossy little willy wagtails, the timid honeyeaters and magpie-larks, and yesterday we even had a beautiful kookaburra!! Bright moments in dull days.
Oh what a beautiful image Jane, the birds bringing joy in the greyness of the season. Gorgeous xx