Winter Weary

8413263684_ab18055b80_zPretty much everyone I know is over winter at this point. We’re winter weary, longing to cast off our coats and hats and gloves and dash unhindered out the door. Weeks and weeks of below normal temps and wetter than usual conditions have us aching for a taste of spring. No, make that spring’s full-fledged arrival. We’re done with tastes of nicer weather. We’re ready for it to come and stay.

If nothing else, this year’s lingering winter has built the anticipation for a new season to fever pitch — spring fever pitch, I guess you could say. Anne Bradstreet, 17th century American poet, said, “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

The wisdom of Anne’s words, though spoken well over 300 years ago, still speak truth today. And not just her thoughts about the seasons, but her words about adversity as well. Just as spring tastes sweeter because we’ve weathered the winter, we appreciate our times of ease and blessing more deeply after enduring some hardships and trials.

Though some of us are yearning for the season of spring, others are aching for their lingering season of grief or difficulty to finally be over. They, too, are winter weary.

To those, I say, “Take heart.” Just as surely as spring follows winter, joy is ahead for you. Anticipate it. Keep waiting for it. One day soon you’ll be welcoming it with open arms…

“…weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5b

Flickr photo by Jukie Bot, Creative Commons License

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Comments

  1. Yes, there are many kinds of winters… looking forward to spring too! : )

  2. Beautiful words. New seasons bring new adventures.

  3. Thanks, Mom. Great post.

  4. Even as we are beginning to sense a shift in the seasons in our neck of the woods, so I am sensing one in my spirit as well.

    New forecast; new things; same great, big God!

    peace in the Resurrection, sister~elaine

  5. how true this is!

    my first summer in finland, it was so bright. the sun doesn’t really set and my sense of time was totally off. I HATE THIS was all i could think.

    and then. THEN. i went through my first winter. it was HORRIFIC. so so so dark. and i longed for the crazy light days of summer.

    now i panic on june 21, knowing that the days will start getting shorter. i mourn sept. 21 with all that i have, knowing it’s going to be darker rather than lighter, my hearts lifts a bit on dec. 21, when i know the days will start getting longer, i and count the days until march 21.

    i’d never appreciate the light without the dark.

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