Winter is my least favorite time of year. This time of year enfolds me with a sense of emptiness and loss of hope. My mood reflects the dreary gray winter sky that blanket northwest Ohio.
But the last few years I see winter with new eyes and a renewed appreciation of its beauty and purpose. I am surprised at this new phenomenon and the joy I have discovered in it stark loveliness.
Bird nests were the first indication of seeing winter in a new way. My eyes were drawn to them. I saw them everywhere. Tree branches, now barren, allowed me to see them where they were hidden before.
Every time I looked up, multiple bird nests materialized. They beckoned me, “Look at me, I have something to tell you.” In His mysterious way, God began to invite me to wonder about these empty and barren nests.
The nests were not just empty, but represented hollow vacant cups, waiting to be filled. Instead of focusing on what they did not have, they remained open, ready to hold new life that was yet to come. These ordinary nests made of everyday stuff, though empty, slowly pulled me into a new realization. The nests symbolized a lesson that began to transform me to hear what God’s lesson.
The nests embodied God’s promise of fresh beginnings in the next season. That simple change in my perspective permeated my soul. My feelings of being mired in dreariness and dryness disappeared. For the first time in a long time, I felt hope.
Our lives are like these nests, having seasons of production and times of rest. The ordinary everyday stuff like twigs of good times and laughter, straw of tears and tensions, soft down of love and community, and mud of confusion and change make up most of life’s events. God’s presence still exists even in the dreary season of winter while He is quite actively preparing each of us for new growth.
I glance out of my office window and see my garden at rest. Its stillness tells me to create a space to listen to God and to nourish my roots to become stronger for the season ahead. Richard Foster in his book titled Prayer
, writes, “Winter preserves and strengthens a tree. Rather than expending its strength on the exterior surface, its sap is forced deeper and deeper into its interior depth. In winter, a tougher more resilient life is firmly established. Winter is necessary for the tree to survive and flourish.”
, writes, “Winter preserves and strengthens a tree. Rather than expending its strength on the exterior surface, its sap is forced deeper and deeper into its interior depth. In winter, a tougher more resilient life is firmly established. Winter is necessary for the tree to survive and flourish.” In my journal I wrote, “I fell in love with winter this year. The stark silhouettes of the barren trees against the gray skies; the sudden appearance and attraction to bird nests – hollow, empty –composed of ordinary stuff of life, waiting to be filled. Waiting to be filled.”
I originally only saw the emptiness and hopelessness in that dreary winter season. God led me to a new appreciation of this time and taught me a valuable lesson. Every winter since then, I search the barren tress for the bird nests. Instead of emptiness, I now see symbols of hope and promises of new expectant life. I see beauty in winter.
What does winter show you?
I find it so interesting everyone’s reaction to the winter season. The environment impacts our spirit much deeper than we realize
I am actually loving winter this year, I think for the first time ever (well, except for when I was a kid). I am relishing the slowing, the resting. Like a bear in hiberation, I’ve tucked in cozy and am enjoying the slower pace.
Lovely reflection, Jean!
I am your new follower. You can follow me back at http://showmemama.com. Make sure you leave a comment so I know you visited.
Have a great weekend
ShowMeMama
Thanks for your comment Sandie and for following my blog. Yes this winter is a struggle for me too. will pray for you!
This was beautiful and I needed to hear it.
I have been struggling this past winter and your words have given me a new perspective…thanks =)
Sandie lee
already a follower
Thanks for sharing your comments and so glad to know there are winter lovers out there. You all have added some great insight to my growing appreciation of this time of year.
Wonderful post Jean.
I’ve learned to appreciate winter as well. For many years I looked at it as a nuisance and impediment to me getting things done, but when I started thinking about it in more depth I realized that it was more of a cleansing, and a beginning of our cycle. Now I look forward to seeing the “life in waiting” that lies during this time of year.
Have a Blessed Day!
I, too, adore seeing the birds’ nests once the leaves shed. You describe it so well. Also, the revealed structure of the branches fascinates me. Winter can seem quiet to me–probably due to blankets of snow we sometimes receive.
The nests, underlying branch structures, quiet, and even the dark, cold nights all add to a coziness that contributes to more time for reading and reflecting this time of year.
I loved reading your evolving perspective on winter. Blessings.
Sis I am glad you are seeing winter in a new perspective over the last several years, I love winter I don’t like when we get to much snow but seeing winter is like seeing nature from a whole new perspective. The snow to me brings purity to the ground and the ground soaks up the water for the spring for all the new things to bloom. Great post.
Actually, I LOVE winter. It’s my second favorite season (after fall). I grew up in NEOH, so I’m used to a big blanket of snow, too! When I moved to Indy, I was actually disappointed we didn’t get more snow. I’ll take a blizzard over 80 degrees any day of the year!
One of things I like about snow in particular is how it covers up all the imperfections. The dried grass, the dirt and mud from a wet autumn. Reminds me that Jesus has renewed my soul–covered up all my imperfections and sin with a blanket of pure white, just like that snow.