The Graze V.246: Winter Gifts

Dear Friends,

As I sit in front of a warm fire in the vicarage, I feel the blustery wind blowing through the old wavy glass windows. I am in awe of the power and presence of the mountain ranges during the depths of winter. Though it is brutally cold (with a forecast of 20 degrees below zero for next week!), winter grounds me in the warmth of the fire burning in the stove, the pages of the book I am reading, and the tea I am drinking. I watch the icicles hanging from the roof melt, drip by drip.

The gift of winter reminds us of the passage of time. We cannot stop the icicles from melting, and we have only so much time to love this world and those around us.

“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and continue living the same lives they did in summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to survive. Winter is a time for withdrawing from the world, maximizing scarce resources, executing acts of brutal efficiency, and vanishing from sight; but that’s where transformation occurs. Winter is not the end of the life cycle, but its crucible.”

– Katherine May, *Wintering*.

Winter gives us the gift of time—the “crucible” of transformation. It offers a moment to reflect on the blessings in our lives and to be changed by the gratitude we hold. Winter reminds me to truly live life. Life is short; winter brings this clarity: embrace it.

Speaking of gifts, Jean Golicz, a long-time friend of Mission Farm, has graciously offered to lead a contemplative service for our First Sunday Gathering on February 2. The following Sunday she will be teaming up with Sue Durant for a book group. Please see more information below.

Be swift to love and make haste to be kind.

Peace,

🌱 Lisa