The view out our windows has not been inspiring of late.
Swaths of flat gray clouds hover overhead, sometimes dipping low to drape gauze in the treetops.
Tangles of bare tree branches claw at the sky.
And where flowers swayed in the sunshine last summer, straggly twigs stand forlornly, grieving their former beauty.
But amidst all this gloom and dormancy, God is at work–behind the scenes.
For example:
- Many plants require a season of rest.
All summer long perennials labor to create flowers that in turn attract pollinators. They also spend the long, warm days developing seeds, in preparation for the following spring.
Come fall, these plants pour their energy into root growth.
Now, during the quiet winter months of inactivity, they enjoy a much-needed rest.
(One of our hydrangea bushes at rest!)
- Plants benefit from snow.
The soft covering (with its air pockets between the flakes) insulates plants from the harm of frigid temperatures.
Melting snow in spring provides the extra hydration plants need for the accelerated growth process of the season.
- Seeds benefit from snow.
A period of moist, cold weather is essential for some varieties of seeds to germinate in the spring.
Winter is not a mistake, a season God forgot to adorn. Winter has purpose.
It’s just that we can’t see what he’s up to.
But come spring? Then we’ll see the benefits of winter in a magnificent display of glorious splendor!
Perhaps you are enduring a season of winter in the circumstances of your life.
It’s not a mistake, God has not forgotten (Psalm 9:10).
This season does have a purpose (Psalm 138:8a), it’s just that you might not be able to see what he’s up to.
Even in the middle of bleak, colorless winter, we are confident that spring will come, aren’t we.
And even in the middle of bleak, colorless circumstances, we can stand confident with the psalmist, because:
“You, [God], will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.
I will praise you with the harp
For your faithfulness.”
–Psalm 71:20b-22a
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(Information about the value of winter for plants came from “4 Reasons to Celebrate Your Garden in Winter” on http://www.houzz.com.)
Photo credits: Nancy Ruegg (3), http://www.wallpapersmela.com; http://www.pinterest.com; http://www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org.)
From the Inside Out 