Have You Settled In Yet?

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1


The storm windows are on, the garden put to bed, and I’ve traded backyard campfires for fires in the fireplace. Hot apple cider fills my travel mug now instead of the iced coffee that sustained me all summer. Flannels, sweaters and fleece hang at the front of the closet, and there's an extra blanket on the bed. I’ve stashed a stack of novels in the bookcase to await snowy days, and finally my to-do list has only a few items left unchecked.

I’m settling in for winter.


Look around and you’ll see all God’s creatures settling in. Bears, their noses dirty from digging, scoop leaves into well-hidden dens. Squirrels carry mouthfuls of leaves and twigs high into treetops to stuff into their cozy nests. Geese, in V-shaped flocks, fly south in search of a milder winter and plentiful food. Even pet cats seek sunny windowsills and spend hours curled in their cat beds, snoozing. Everywhere you look, animals and people prepare to hibernate, migrate, or adapt to the season.

We have come to November, that month of settling in, the season when we slow down with the waning light of day and prepare for quiet winter nights. Somehow, God seems closer now. Maybe it’s because in long hours of darkness we sense the need for His protection and want to snuggle in His strong, loving arms.

In Mark 6:31, Jesus said to his apostles, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. You need to get some rest." (NLrV)

So let’s go. Let’s go away to Winter, that quiet place. Let’s spend our nights reading God’s Word, singing His praises and thanking Him for His blessings. Let’s cozy up to warm fires with family and friends and rejoice in the gift of fellowship. Let’s put aside the seasons of coming and going, the days of no leisure . . .because winter is upon us—the quiet place, the place where Jesus calls us to rest.

5 comments:

Dee said...

Love your take on winter. Love the way your paint pictures with your words...you're such a great writer! I hate winter, but seen through your eyes in this article, I can see a whole new side to winter. Thanks for sharing.

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Jean -

Ooo, I love the picture you paint. I've always contended that as long as I could watch winter from within the cozy confines of my house, I'd be happy.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Jean Fischer said...

Thanks, Susan. I don't like to be out in the snow and cold. I think I do some of my best writing on snowy winter days when I'm all snuggled in.

Blessings.
Jean

quietspirit said...

Jean:
You paint an inviting word-picture. It almost makes we want to see winter come. Thank you.

Jamie said...

Today the rain and colder temperatures have made it our way. Reading this gets me excited about the change of seasons. Then I hear the wimper of the dog signaling his need for a walk. Write a wonderful picture of that too and send to me. It might help. :) Thanks Jean.


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Hermie wonders why he looks and feels so common. Whenever he asks God why, God simply answers, "I'm not finished with you yet." Then, one day, Hermie feels very tired. He gets into his cozy, leafy bed, and he sleeps. And while Hermie sleeps a transformation takes place. When he wakes up, Hermie discovers that God has done something grand. You can guess what it is. Every caterpillar that lives to adulthood knows the end of the story.

Parents, please share this book and its powerful message with your children. We are all special because God loves us, and He has a unique purpose for our lives. Whenever we slump into feeling ordinary, we know that we have hope because . . .God isn't finished with us yet!


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