Your Personal Winter

Driving to church Sunday morning the sky was charcoal grey, trees were barren, and blustery winds bullied fallen leaves. Winter is here.

For the next few months nature will appear bleak. Desolate. Dead.

Yet no one worries...

We understand that winter is an integral season of nature.

It’s a time of rest and recovery. Important things are happening beyond our sight.

However, when it comes to our personal nature, we resist seasons of rest and recovery that intrude on our progress and busyness. We work hard to artificially prop up the impression of an eternal spring and summer.

Personal Winters are invaluable.

They require patience and provide wisdom that enables us to:

• Understand why a relationship had to end, or needs to end

• Regenerate vital energy required for personal and professional growth

• Take the space necessary to reflect on who we’ve been and who we’d like to be

It’s no coincidence that Thanksgiving appears just as winter settles upon us.

Let’s give thanks to the gifts of change, forgiveness, courage, and healing.

Before we know it, spring will burst on the scene again, bringing new life, colors, and adventures…

We can learn from the wisdom of nature and embrace Personal Winters as part of our human experience.

Without this time of rest, recovery, and reflection, our Personal Springs won’t be nearly as vibrant or meaningful as they yearn to be.