Preparing for Winter

Today was the first cold-ish day we’ve had this autumn where I live, in Southern Mississippi. I feel the pangs of dread for the winter ahead. I’m not a winter person. I almost need to be outside in the sunshine, otherwise I don’t feel right. My joints hurt, my energy drops, and I tend to go through some seasonal depression. I would not survive up north! I feel for you folks, and you probably want me to shut up when complaining about the cold! It’s in the 50s and I’m sitting outside shivering as I type this. Oh, poor me. Yeah, I know.

Because of the cold-ish weather today, and my off day yesterday, I have this feeling like I need to prepare for winter. I need to ask the Lord to get my mind and heart right, to get me focused on good things and the positive aspects of the season ahead. To enjoy those days when I get to snuggle up with the kiddos and make hot chocolate. I might even get to see some snow, if it’s like last year. We got a good snow twice here last year, I think, which is very unusual. The kids love it, and I love the see them excited!

This also has me thinking about getting prepared for spiritual winter. There might come a day during my lifetime when the world goes cold and dark, when Jesus and the gospel is totally overshadowed by evil. Will I survive that day, should I be here?

I need to be prepared for winter — not just the season as we experience it here on earth — but spiritual winter. I need to start gathering food by storing up on the word of God, make sure my Holy Spirit water reserves are in abundant supply, seek the warm comfort of the Comforter, and rest under the shelter of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

We Christians are lights in this world, and when the night season is upon us, the world will need to see that light shining! Though our lights will make us easy targets, we will shine anyway. We need oil for our lamps so we can burn bright, and now is the time to start getting ready for the bridegroom! (If you’re not sure what I refer to when saying we need oil for our lamps, I reference the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25).