I have never been a fan of winter. I don’t like to be cold and I don’t like snow. Winters in Upstate New York usually start early in November and don’t finally end until the end of May. The middle months – January and February – are treacherous, travel nearly impossible. Without fail, at least one entire week in February is spent confined to the house, the roads closed and businesses shut down due to the impassible conditions, whole-family-effort needed to clear the driveway and sidewalk of the snow – not once or twice during the day, but over several hours, many times during the day.
The first signs of autumn usually send me into a state of absolute dread. “Well, here we go,” I think when the first orange and yellow leaves drift from the trees to the ground. “Winter is banging down the door.” Then I spend the next two months dreading what’s to follow.
God is changing my heart in so many ways. Recently, I strolled through my yard, my goofy dog sniffing a path ahead of me, my coffee cup tight in my hands (it was only about 45 degrees! I had to have something to keep me warm!). The crunching sound of the leaves under my feet, the stream dancing over the rocks and the singing of the birds in the trees were like a gentle song. Despite the cold, the sun shined down bright and warm. Squirrels and chipmunks scampered around, collecting their winter store (and dodging my crazy dog!)
As a few leaves were released from the trees and swayed gently before me to the ground, I looked around at the vast beauty of God’s creation. The colors of the leaves blanketing the ground, the pine trees in the corner of our yard, and the grass that still held tightly to its green were all reminders of God’s great work, His masterpiece of seasons that fit together perfectly. How could I look at this world He has created and dread what’s to come? How could I not look around and marvel at what He has painted just for me?
When the first signs of winter appear in your life, don’t dread them. Instead enjoy what’s happening around you right now. Look at the greatness of God’s creation, His mercy and His love. It will make the changing seasons more enjoyable!
