“You have fixed all the bounds of the earth; you made summer and winter” (Psalm 74:17).
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 and whole. Despite what is for me a harsh transition from so much living outdoors to being forced inside, I know it is good and right for me. I need the changing of the seasons. To be clear, I do need to hibernate a bit, even though I fight against the familiar summons to do so.
I am a mammal. So are you. It is okay if we pause to breathe deeply and learn to better appreciate the wonder and mystery that lies in the darkness that is winter. This season is an invitation to create your own personal version of a long winter’s nap. What would that look like for you? More music? Deeper times of prayer? Less screen time? An abundance of midday naps? No more feeling less worthy for not doing enough?
Celebrate the God of boundaries!
This message is excerpted from “Winter boundaries, winter wonder” by Venice R. Williams in the December 2019 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Francis Xavier, missionary to Asia, 1552.
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