Winter finally settled in over Kalkaska this week—the kind that slows life down whether we like it or not. And honestly, maybe that’s a gift. Last Sunday we talked about how Christmas can pile on the stress, and I think that stress has a way of pulling back the curtain on the deeper stuff we’re carrying: the weariness, the memories, the grief that sneaks up when the world gets quiet.
Winter has a way of exposing what we’ve tried to push down. But the good news is this: God doesn’t walk away from us in the cold. Scripture says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18, NIV). He meets us right in the heaviness—not after we’ve pulled it together.
Some of us are walking through grief right now—fresh, old, or somewhere in between. It can feel like frozen ground. But Psalm 147:3reminds us that “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Healing isn’t something we have to manufacture. It’s God’s work, and Philippians 1:6 tells us He finishes what He starts.
In the middle of the stress and the weight of the season, Jesus gives us an invitation that still stands: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). And when fear or sadness tries to take over, we hold onto His promise: “My peace I give you…Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
As we head toward this week’s sermon on grief, here’s what I’m praying sinks deep for all of us: Winter isn’t the end of the story. Isaiah 40:31 says that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. New life is coming—even if all we can see right now is snow and silence.
Wherever you’re at—stressed, grieving, or just trying to catch your breath—may you feel the steady presence of a God who restores, who renews, and who brings life out of every season, even the cold ones.