Each December, I must teach myself anew how to embrace the coldness, the migration or hibernation of neighboring creatures, the lack of warmth and light that this new season will bring with it.
The New International Version translation of Psalm 74:17 guides me through the depths of the very first snowstorm or freezing temperatures: “It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth. You made both summer and winter.”
Lord knows I need boundaries. If God did not give me the seasonal boundary of very cold days and only offered me the sweltering heat of summer, I would not be balanced. I need the changing of the seasons. I do need to hibernate a bit, even though I fight against the familiar summons to do so.
All the rest of God’s good creation pauses in the winter, goes dormant, cuts back on activity, honors God’s boundaries. Only human creatures struggle with silence and darkness. We are the only ones who must constantly turn on the light.
This message is excerpted from “Winter Boundaries, Winter Wonders” by Venice R. Williams in the December 2019 Gather magazine. All are welcome to attend a Blue Christmas service via Zoom, December 21 at 7 p.m. (CST).
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