I pray that you and yours are well and warm of heart on these colder, darker winter days. The weather has finally turned and with the change in season comes an opportunity for a change in our lives with God and one another.

I love this time of year for the stillness that can come into our hearts and lives. Christmas and all its glory and frenzy are passed. Many of us are getting back into the routines of our lives at work, at school, and in our homes. We may be finding ways to enjoy the outdoors, but there's a certain stillness that comes into our lives as we reflect on the past year and look with excitement (and maybe a little uncertainty) at the year ahead. The natural world around us is hushed, slumbering, lying in wait for the coming of spring that is months away. It's the natural order of things in nature and a helpful model for our lives as well.

Stillness, quiet, and a time of waiting for what's next are the foundation for opening our lives to God. When we are still, we can take the time to look around and see His work in our lives. When we are quiet, we are much more likely to hear the other side of our conversation with God. For though He is speaking to us all the time, it's hard to hear His voice when we keep talking. Waiting allows us an opportunity to get ready, rather than going full tilt every moment of every day. We might just have more energy for the life that will unfold before us.

I arise early most mornings to walk our dogs at St. David's. They're a lot faster than I am, but they love to stop and smell and hope that some squirrel drops out of a tree and into their mouths. Standing still with them opens my ears to the silence, allows my eyes to adjust to the breaking of the day, and I can remember that waiting is an important part of our lives. We always move on, but the stillness in that moment is life-giving.

Christ is calling all of us into a life that's really life; and sometimes that life involves calm, still moments. I hope and pray that all of us will live into the season and allow God to calm and quiet our lives, body and soul. For when we can, we will know the presence of God in our very hearts.