Winter is a time of rest, of dormancy. The trees once lush and green are now bare, the birds that filled our ears with their melodies have flown south, neighbors huddle in their homes instead of taking a walk or mowing their lawns, and the skies are a consistent somber shade of gray. And just as we get used to layering up to protect ourselves from the cold, it snows – the quintessential reminder that spring is a long way off.

It seems that in winter nothing is happening. It’s cold. It’s quiet. There’s no sign of growth. That’s where Dave and I and Healing the Harvest are, spiritually speaking. We are in a winter season and it seems the groundhog was right. We still have a long winter ahead.

But winter has hidden secrets. Snow acts as a blanket to trees and plants, protecting roots and bulbs from extreme temperature fluctuations and preventing damage from the freeze-thaw cycles. The cold winter air forces plants to become dormant, allowing them to conserve energy – energy they will need when spring arrives. While the exposed part of the plant is dormant, plant roots focus on expanding deeper into the soil, repairing damage, and becoming stronger.

Freezing temperatures kill off insects and parasites that could be harmful to plants in the spring, as well as break down soil structure, which can improve aeration. And as the snow melts, it provides a slow, consistent, deep hydration for the soil, which is crucial for spring growth, also adding nitrogen to the soil, which fertilizes the plants.

So winter is anything but a time of nothing. The barrenness, the cold, and the snow all have their purposes and set plants up to have a spring full of growth, strength, and vitality. As Dave and I walk through this winter season, we know and trust that God is protecting and deepening our roots, strengthening us, nourishing us, killing off that which will only hinder us, and conserving our energy for what is to come. Know that if you are in a winter season as well, God is doing the same for you.

As Dave and I walk through this winter season, there are some things we have learned to do and not to do:

• DON’T try to rush it. There’s a reason for this season. Spring will come when spring will come. There is nothing you can do to speed up the process, and trying will only bring frustration.

• DON’T compare. Everyone walks through their own seasons in their own times. Wishing you had someone else’s life or wondering why you don’t is only a waste of energy and may even prolong your winter. Take comfort in knowing that winter comes to us all… and this too shall pass.

• DON’T turn your back on God. Feelings of loneliness, frustration, overwhelm, self-pity, abandonment, and more can be part of this season. It’s just so cold. But God is always good. Everything He does is for your good and His glory. The winter may be unpleasant, but it is necessary for your strength, growth and well-being.

• DO be still. Use the time to rest. Rest your mind as well as your body. Take a nap. Read more. Embrace the quiet. Don’t fill it with noise.

• DO look for God. He may be hiding, but He is right there. He’s working in secret, like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. Ask Him to show you evidence of His work. Then look for it. He promises us, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart,” Jeremiah 29:13).

• DO trust His word and His goodness. Just because your life circumstances may look shaky, it doesn’t mean God is shaky. God’s word and character never change. He is love (1 John 4:8). He is good (Psalm 107:1). He is sovereign (Job 42:2). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Let your roots grow deeper and learn to really trust His word over your circumstances.

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Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Psalm 37:7

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.

Isaiah 30:15

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 63:1-4