In the dead of winter

my soul cries out to you Lord.

My brain and my body are weary,

the skies are gray,

the trees are bare,

and every inch of me feels

the dark and the emptiness of not only my surroundings

but inside myself too.

I am tired.

Tired of doing, tired of keeping up,

tired of the dark, the cold, the barrenness…

But then the sun breaks through the clouds,

though still cold and barren land surround me,

I can suddenly hear the birds chirping,

green shoots are popping through the thawing earth,

getting ready to reveal the bright and vibrant colors

of spring, even if it’s just a glimpse.

A glimpse of hope,

that even in this season of darkness,

the son is still here with us,

and his promises are the same

yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

And we hold onto this hope,

through the gray, the cold, the bare season,

until the sun shines again

and the earth wakes up from a

long winter’s nap.

A nap that was perhaps designed for us

as a gift,

to slow down, quiet our minds,

restore and refuel our bodies for what comes next.

A gift from the Lord and a reminder

that he is good and faithful in all things.

He is our living hope in the darkest seasons and in the light,

both now and forever more.