"In the bleak mid-winter frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone."
...Christina Rossetti
Winter is a tough time! Temperatures plunge. Thermometers range from 32 to 0 degrees. The wind-chill freezes us to the bone. The good earth is frozen hard as concrete. Water turns to ice. The sun hides its face. Clouds cover the sky. Our days are short. Life seems barren and bleak!
Winter is a tough time! Driving is difficult. Outside work is hampered by the cold. High heating-bills. Power outages. People are cut off from other people. Illness increases. Some even die due to the cold weather.
Winter is a tough time! But tougher yet is the winter-of-our-soul! Every one of us, at some time or another, experiences a spiritual winter -- a "cold snap" when we seem to be frozen in time and space.
Winter-of-the-spirit! We feel a coldness as we face a serious illness. We feel a coldness when we face a loss -- loss of health, loss of wealth, loss of job, loss of friendships, loss of identity, loss of purpose, loss of direction, loss of life.
Winter-of-our-spirit! We experience a "hardness of heart." We are overwhelmed by letters and calls asking for our help, our money, our support. There are too many needs and we have too few resources to give. So, we shut down -- we are no longer able to "feel." As a result, we are cut off from the people around us; and we feel cut off from God. God seems far away. He doesn't seem to hear us or answer our prayers. At times, we wonder if God is even there. And our hearts become cold as ice.
"Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
In the bleak mid-winter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty was born, Jesus the Christ!"
...Christina Rossetti
Good News! When our days are dreary, and life is darkest, God Almighty comes to be with us in the flesh! In the bleak winter of our lives, the Lord God comes and stands beside us!
Good News! The One who is with us is all-knowing! He fully understands all that we are going through, because he went through it all himself!
Good News! The One who stands beside us is all-seeing! He sees every angle of our situation, and is able to guide us through!
Good News! The One who is with us is all-powerful. He is able to overcome our frustration, our anxieties, and bring order out of our chaos. He is able to overpower sin and to defeat death! So, we live without fear.
Good News! The One who stands beside us is all-loving. The sunlight of His love warms our souls and melts our cold, cold hearts. Thus, we are able to "feel" again!
Good News! The One who is with us is Light; in His presence there can be no darkness. As we live close to the Light, we can see clearly our way through all the darkness.
Good News! The One who stands beside us gives us hope! Chaos will slink away. Darkness will evaporate in the light. The snow and ice will melt. The wintry winds will turn to warm breezes. Winter will give way to spring! The winter-days-of-our-souls are temporary; The Son brings a new day and new life -- a life that is rich and full and abundant! In the bleak mid-winter, there is always hope!
Religion on 01/22/2015