Winter can stir up sadness within the happiest of hearts. Depending on where you live, the weather can be dreary this time of year. The days are short, the air is cold, and clouds often hide the sun for weeks.
If you’re struggling to escape the winter blues, take heart – spring is coming! The days are growing longer, and in just a few weeks, the temperature will get warmer. Before long, you’ll see signs of new life – blue skies will appear and flowers and green grass will emerge.
Until then, be patient. When life gets hard, hope is what will give you the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other. But hope is like waiting for one season to transition into the next. The cold and darkness of winter don’t give way to warmer weather and increased sunlight all at once. They emerge gradually, day by day. And, so, it is with hope.
While you wait for the deep freeze of winter to lift and your emotions along with it, remember that one of your greatest resources for discovering new strength is family. Strong families are one of God’s greatest gifts for weathering the dark seasons of life. Home is where we literally and figuratively find safety, shelter, and refuge from the cold world outside our front door.
Faith is also crucial to our well-being. Hope grows when we place our faith in something or Someone greater than ourselves and believe that eternal good will one day conquer evil. In our darkest moments, we can have hope because “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
If you’re struggling with the winter blues and could use someone to talk to, give one of our counselors here at Focus on the Family a call. The number is 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
