Winter Solstice
There is no life without the sun. Since June 21, we have been seeing less daylight, and now, on December 21, we experience the darkest day of the year. Plants are dormant, bears hibernate, and the cold, thick air presses down a blanket of snow, hiding all the grounds imperfections.
The cold darkness tests the resiliencies of all living creatures. Some prepare, some flee to warmer climates, yet all must prepare or be destroyed.
Those who thrive during this time have prepared for the inevitable conditions. They do not enjoy being cold but have learned how to stay warm in the cold. They have stored goods to sustain them throughout the dark, cold days have altered their schedule to survive, even thrive.
The "secret" of the successful is their preparation for the change. They realize that they cannot alter these events, so they prepare well in advance for whatever may come.
We cannot be sure about the severity of the winter months, but we can be sure they will come, so we prepare for the harshest environment we can imagine. If it is mild, we have excess for the years to come. If severe, we are prepared and will use all the resources we put aside. Either way, the winter will be enjoyed.
Those who enjoy this time of year have learned to use the conditions rather than complain about them. The snow removal is a productive exercise making gym memberships unnecessary. Snowsports, ice fishing, skating, broomball, and sledding hills make fun, excitement, and workouts.
Hot coffee or chocolate around a fireplace in the evening after a meal of chili or soup makes perfect endings to busy days.
Life also has seasons. We experience times of warmth, light and abundance, and darkness, cold, and adversity. As in the physical world, some prepare for these dark, cold days and find unique ways to enjoy the difficult, and some find relief through escape.
God created us and wants to give us abundant life. There is no Bible verse suggesting that we become excellent at coping, but many speak of God being light, life, and wishing us to live abundantly.
I am not suggesting that there are never times of "coping." There are times where life's winds are strong and cold, and the conditions are adverse, and we need to do whatever we can to get through that moment. However, we were never made to stay in the "coping mode." We were created to thrive.
I cannot stop my aging process. I cannot prevent wars, disease, pain, suffering, and death. However, I can prepare for such things.
During the summer months of life, I need to be preparing for the winter. If I spend all my time playing in the sun and not preparing for the darkness, I will not be ready. The time to ready ourselves for adversity is when things are going well, and we seem to fight that idea tooth and nail.
V. Raymond Edman once said: "Never doubt in the dark what God taught you in the light." He assumes that you learned something in the light.
Today, if life is warm, sunny, and carefree, you can spend some time enjoying the moment while you keep an eye on the moments yet to come and invest it in the inevitable.
I write this on December 21, 2021. It is a dark day in the woods and our lives as our family work through a recent cancer diagnosis. Yet we rest in the preparation that God has done in our lives, knowing that this cancer will be beaten here on earth or one day in eternity.
The idea of getting sick and my wife and I one day being temporarily separated is not just an idea; it will happen.
What I(we) do and have done during the light days will carry me through these dark days, and I can look forward to each day getting lighter until we finally get home, where the light will overrule the darkness for eternity.
I am most thankful for God's preparation for such times. I enjoy His mercy, grace, and provision, and during the darker days of life, that is all we have.
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