Looking out over the snow covered ground, it is easy to see why the hymns talk of being “washed whiter than snow.”  The glistening blanket is smooth and clean.  It is as if peace came and covered the earth.  To look at it before car tracks and snowmen, a quiet calm begs not to be disturbed.  It is even more spectacular when flakes continue to fall and build the depth.  Trees have clumps that resemble white nests in every bough.  And you have to ask how could this wonderland be created in just a few hours?  It is a marvel to watch.  I am in awe every time. 

I have to wonder what is going on under this icy chill.  It would seem to me that it would kill everything, but it is quite the opposite.  Down under the cold ground, life is thriving.  It has pulled within itself to glean nutrients from the soil.  The snow actually helps nurture the plants that are anxiously waiting for spring to make an appearance.  It may not be evident to the eyes, but do not let that fool you.  The winter is a time to dig deeper, for roots to solidify. Seeds must first fall to the ground and die before they can sprout. 

It is the same with life.  There are seasons of “winter” and they require us to pull back and dig deep.  It may seem that all life is gone on the surface but in the heart, the seed has died only to be resurrected.  It now absorbs the nutrients that God pours out.  When the spring season comes, life will come bursting forth from places that appeared dead just days ago. Kind of like a tomb…sound familiar? Winter is a season of preparation that leads to a season of fruit.  As cold and hard as winter is, it can be critical to growth.

I am in a winter season.  I have pulled back and I am trying to allow God to nurture me…feed me.  I am digging my roots deeper.  I am preparing for a season of fruit bearing.  Soon, the growth will burst forth, (my hair first I hope) and it will be apparent that God has been working behind the scenes for these past months with his resurrection power. The seed that was planted deep in my heart will bud and blossom…all because of the winter.