Like the frost on a rose Winter comes for us all Oh how nature acquaints us With the nature of patience Like a seed in the snow I've been buried to grow For Your promise is loyal From seed to sequoia — “Seasons” by Hillsong WorshipI’ve always had a fondness for winter. Maybe it’s because I came from the hot and sunny city of Manila, and seeing snow for the first time since I was a toddler was such a treat at 11 years old. But it’s been over a decade now, and the novelty and awe for this season haven’t left me yet. Now, this isn’t to say I’m naive or ignorant about the very real health implications of this time of year. I’ve experienced firsthand how impactful the weather can be to a person’s health and wellbeing: I’ve fallen down the rabbithole of mental un-health longer than Alice was in Wonderland, and even studied the human brain and behaviour in university. But in spite of all that, or maybe even because of it, my love affair for winter stays strong.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.Both of these pieces of poetry hold one key to a spiritual understanding of winter because they show how it reveals the depth of God. The Creator of the Universe made four seasons for good reason. Our God is an intentional Father, and even though we may not always feel it, He is just as present in the summers of our lives as He is in the winters. “For Your promise is loyal, from seed to sequoia.”
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new glorious morn.”If we step outside of the land of Hallmark cards, twinkly Christmas lights, and intricate gift wrappings, we return to a very weary world that often doesn’t know how to rejoice --- or Who to rejoice in. We forget how to sit with silence or hold onto time. So we let time fly by and fill the silence with noise. We distract ourselves through mundanity, cruise through shopping sales, and count down the days until spring.