People thought I was crazy, the northern girl at heart, excited to be leaving sunny south Florida for the northern shores of coastal New England.  I admit winter days can stretch long and gray and I remember with fondness the warmth of the sun we were blessed to bask in nearly every day in Florida.

It took me a long time in our southern locale to realize exactly what felt “off” to my northern self.  It was the lack of seasons, especially this season, that interrupted the rhythm of years I had grown up benefiting from without realizing it.

I ache for that one true blanket of really deep snow that shuts everything down and settles our nonstop world with a glorious hush.  I love walking through the quiet, taking a deep breath of crisp air, captivated by the landscape now transformed with broad strokes of soft white, tree branches outlined and sometimes bowing, laden with fresh snow.

Although my son feels suffocated by them, I truly embrace the warmth of cozy layers during these winter months.  I am happy to bundle up and venture out, tromping through the fluffy stuff with rosy cheeks and wide eyes – – and just as happy to come home, peel out of those layers, brew a favorite hot drink, and curl up by the fire.

More than that, I realize that I crave a truly dormant season!  There is a different kind of hush that falls when yardwork ceases and the garden goes to sleep for the winter, when my boots, bucket, and gloves sit idle on the back porch.  It is right and good when even a labor of love enjoys a well-earned rest.

Maybe a dormant season is right and good for more than just my garden? 

If you have followed my posts over recent years, you know that I have struggled to adjust to a new season.  It has not been easy to embrace the transition from full-time mom to empty-nester.  In comparison to nonstop, joy-filled years of raising our family, the landscape of my new life has felt a bit barren, gray, and lifeless.

But GOD.  My Father has come close in so many ways over the past few years, with comfort, perspective, and tender care.  He is opening my eyes to see winter’s beauty, not just in snowy New England, but in what feels like a dormant season in my life.

It is quiet here.  It is cozy and inviting.  He has used the stillness to peel back the layers, to bring new depths of appreciation for His love, and time to linger over His Word.  He has spoken a hush over my days that wasn’t there before … but a growing excitement too!

A spark of fresh hope swells as I begin to imagine what He might be growing in me, carefully insulated within this season’s blanket of protection.  What will sprout and come to life, blooming in different shapes and colors when winter’s chance to rest and recharge has passed?

I don’t know.  But my Father does.  He never ceases to amaze me with the beauty He creates!  Beauty that stills us.  Beauty that thrills us.  What joy to be in His embrace, under His “construction,” eager to see what He has been working on all along!

Just the other day, I turned the page in my One Year Bible to read two favorite Psalms.  These words perfectly echo my thoughts as I talked with Him about all of this and landed in gratefulness on my wintry wander down the snowy bike path this week:

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦⁣
𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘠𝘰𝘶.⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 ⁣
𝘵𝘰 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮⁣
𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳⁣
𝘰𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.⁣
𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘮𝘦⁣
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦.⁣
𝘏𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦.⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺⁣
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱.⁣
𝘉𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶⁣
𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋.⁣
⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘏𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦;⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦.⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.⁣
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, “𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶⁣
𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.⁣
𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”⁣
𝘙𝘦𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘖𝘙𝘋 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥,⁣
𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘪𝘮.⁣
⁣
𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝟑𝟏:𝟏𝟗-𝟐𝟐, 𝟐𝟒 • 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝟑𝟐:𝟕-𝟖, 𝟏𝟏