Saturday, December 27, 2014

Winter's Rest

Gentle Winter
You whisper sweetly in my ear
Your wind refreshes my soul and brings healing to my heart
Winter, you bring me such peace

Fall is gone
Summer is just a memory
Winter has come to rest

Back home, winter means rain
Soggy, yucky, wet days
Being wet and cold is so different than just being cold
I never loved winter at home

I have seen the beauty in winter
I have felt the peace that winter brings
I have experienced winter's rest

Winter, have your way in me
Sing me your song
Teach me your dance
Bring me into your rest

Saturday, December 20, 2014

The Hope that Winter Brings

The last leaves have fallen to the ground
Dry and brown, they crunch beneath children's feet
Tree branches look like fingers stretching, pointing to the sky
It's clear the direction the wind blew all summer, the branches are all twisted that way
Really, it kind of excites my heart to see

The sky is grey, the ground cold
Summer is over
Flocks of geese fly in perfect v's
Winter is here

Oh, the joy
Oh, the peace
Oh, the stillness that winter brings

The holidays are busy
Hurried people
Grumpy cashiers
Giggling children
Traffic

Oh, the traffic

Winter is here
Winter

Oh, the joy
Oh, the peace
Oh, the stillness that winter brings

Winter reveals what other seasons hide
The fluff is gone
All is still
All is sleeping

What remains
Steady
Stable
Secure
Structure

What is seen
Strength
Dignity
Truth

The tree weathers the blizzard
The branches bare, bear the weight of the snow
The quiet moments
The stillness

Winter
Stillness
Hearts can hear the flicker of the fire burning
Flames dance in each heart
Peace fills each soul

Quiet
Listen

Oh, the joy
Oh, the peace
Oh, the stillness that winter brings

The trees may sleep
but the fire, oh, the fire

This is the hope that winter brings