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An Experience with "Wintering"
- Jill Riley
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
It is Spring and I’m writing about wintering. There is a wonderful reason for that. Everything that happened under a blanket of snow is now “freshly” coming forth. I encourage you to get settled into a quiet space and take the plunge into this blog to realize the amazing thing that is happening to you right now. It is such good news.
Fresh
/freSH/
adjective
something recently made, harvested, or newly arrived; not spoiled, stale, frozen, or preserved
In the COMMON GROUND SOUND Immersive Magazine, I have written this article on Wintering. I want to share a deeper, experiential understanding of it in this blog. Every year, God takes us through seasons of spiritual growth just like seasons of agricultural growth. Winter is a very special season for spiritual growth, and we are just now beginning to reap the benefits. Let’s reflect. When we sat by a fireplace under a blanket with a hot cup of coffee in our hands, something was happening we might not have fully noticed. Things were quieting within us. The past was breaking off in bits and pieces and dying, disintegrating into the soil of our hearts, so to speak.
In your mind, can you hear the crackling and crunching sounds of walking on leaves and twigs on a crisp winter morning? That’s the sound of things dying. Just sit and listen to that sound for a moment. In retrospect, which is a powerful gift, let one thing come to mind that you are no longer worried about. Give it a minute if you need to—one thing that you are no longer worried about that you were worried about last winter. Maybe it was a difficult situation you had to face, or decision you had to make. Maybe someone had to be forgiven, and maybe that someone was you. Maybe it was something that had to be worked out or needed final resolve. See if you can find one thing. When you’ve got one, read on.
That one thing became a dry leaf, or a dead twig within your heart. It disintegrated into the “soil” of your heart. It conserved the living water within your heart that Jesus spoke of with the woman at the well (John 4:10-14.) Keep thinking of that one thing. That one thing suppressed weeds that were trying to grow within your heart—and weeds are painful to remove when fully grown! This disintegration regulated the temperature of your emotions. Yes, just this one “dead leaf” protected your heart and mind from emotional and mental erosion. It improved your overall health and acted as a barrier, limiting diseases and reducing the need for constant medical attention—and that was just one dead leaf or dead twig. You’ve now been through an entire “wintering” of countless things dying and providing all of these benefits.
The best part is coming now. Right now as you sit reading this, the fresh—the recently made, harvested, newly arrived beauty is springing up from within you and will be vibrantly available for those around you to enjoy. Smile big right now as you think of this! Take a deep breath and thank the Lord for giving you this brand new start in this brand new season. Wow! It’s just so good! Galatians 5:1 says, “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in the slavery of the law.” This reminds us that we didn’t do everything perfectly before this wintering, and we won’t do everything perfectly before the next wintering. We don’t have to. We actually can’t. I have to remind myself of this often. To try to be perfect is to be “slave to the law.”
We can forgive ourselves and give ourselves loads of grace. Lord knows I need it, but last night I was watching an episode of The Chosen and I was so struck by a scene with Jesus and Judas—Judas of all people! Judas said, “But how will I ever forgive myself.” Jesus put his arm around Judas with such deep compassion and said, “You don’t have to. I forgive you.” While there was a bit of creative license taken by the screenwriters in this scene, it fully aligns with the depth of Jesus' love and compassion throughout the scriptures. He carries our burdens so we don’t have to—even when we've been a Judas to Jesus in various ways before this last wintering. As I close, I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to this song by Stephanie Gretzinger (video below) and just sit, eyes closed, heart open in gratefulness for the last wintering the Lord provided for you. Remember that "wintering” is available all year round. Just take your burdens to Jesus any time you need to. No one will ever care for you like Jesus.
Love to all,
Jill
Click the cover photo and enjoy Jill Riley's COMMON GROUND SOUND Immersive Magazine
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