I am not a fan of winter. Hence, the reason I moved from Wisconsin to Florida so many years ago.
But there are dabbles of winter weather down here in the south. Occasional frost warnings, temperatures that may or may not dip below freezing, people bundled from head to toe. That last one? That's me. Head to toe in five layers. From the moment the thermometer hits 60 until the very day it pushes back up to 80 you won't be able to find me. I'll be a walking laundry basket. In order to uphold my positive attitude clause (ABC - Always Be Cheerful) I will make a list of all the good things about winter. Wish me luck. - My husband loves the cool weather. (that way one of us is always happy) - Ugly Christmas sweaters. (yes, I wear them until February, who says we can't celebrate all year round) - I can wear all of my pretty scarves (not necessarily all at the same time - well, maybe that) - Hearty soups and stews - The cold kills the bugs (not that I'm into killing things, but those mosquitos last year almost turned me into an ax murderer) - Looking at the weather in Brainerd, MN and realizing it could be worse - a lot worse. Now that I've covered most of the good points, I will stop beating around the frost covered bush and get to the main point. During winter, many living things go dormant. They shut down and gather the strength they need to go out into the world and once again be magnificent. God has truly given us the gift of dormancy and as I push closer to 50 in age I've found that it's a necessary part of my life. When I was young I used to be able to work and play all day and night and I did them both hard. But now, I've found that my favorite activity is sitting on my back porch watching the water birds float gently in the pond, the sunlight decorate the swaying Southern pines, and the anoles skitter through the bushes. Most of the time I write or read. But there are those times I become dormant as the foliage in winter. Not thinking, not knowing, not caring. Only being. These are becoming important times. Moments when my overactive mind can heal itself and compartmentalize. Do you remember those old computers that you had to defrag once in a while when they got bogged down? That's exactly what I compare it to. I love to defrag. To shut down this crazy brain and set it straight again. Therefore, even knowing that winter is cold and dead, I understand that there is purpose for it. Yes, there are so many more analogies I could go into, but I'm not getting paid to be National Geographic blogger, so this is pretty much my only thought on the subject today. Keep in mind, during those moments when you are cold and dead, it may just be God providing a moment for you to recharge - for however long it may take. But give Him the glory in it always. And He will bless you.
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