Do you get that itch in March? The feeling that something new is on its way.
I love the unfolding of spring. Of warmer days filled with sunshine.
Even if it does snow, the snow doesn’t stay for long.
I love the first song of the robin outside our window.
I love the new arrivals. Our barn will be bursting with baby rabbits, chicks, and goat kids.
But I also need winter.
I don’t care much for frozen drinkers or snow up to my knees. Both make chores much more difficult. But those limitations remind me that winter is meant to look different.
Winter reminds me to rest.
Rest. The kind of rest that comes with slower days and fewer outside projects.
Rest that allows time to recover and plan. Dream and prepare for the next year.
There’s nothing I can do for a garden covered in snow.
But there is much I can do as I snuggle my littles inside. Ideas come. We read. I write and draw and paint.
I feel rested as I process and create from the things in my heart. I feel so good as we read aloud together and foster relationships. Play games. Work on puzzles. I feel peace as we watch shows together, knowing the work will come soon.
This is a season for working on the inside.
True rest, the kind of rest that brings relief and peace, comes through our Savior and his healing. His balm can heal those hurts we bury deep. But hurts are not seeds. Hurts need light and attention to uproot the festering. Hurts need healing words and our Savior’s salve. He invites us to rest. To let him, in his power, make us whole again.
So winter is coming to a close. I look forward to days of digging in the dirt…
But there’s still a little more time to dig into what is happening inside of me. To rest and not feel hurried.
Soon the time will come to work outside.
Ways to rest and restore your heart in winter:
-Spend time studying scripture together as a family. Eat warm cookies and take turns teaching each other.
-Create a tradition of cozy mugs of hot chocolate after adventures in the cold
-Watch a show together such as Relative Race on BYUtv
-Create a read-aloud time and share some of your favorite books as a kid with your children.
-Have a stash of creative supplies ready and pull them out to play, even when you don’t feel inspired.
-Make a batch of homemade playdough. It’s so warm and soothing when it’s fresh!
-Reflect and count the blessings of the year. Create a yearbook to capture all those memories. Your children will enjoy pouring over the pages.
-Make cozy soups or homemade bread together.
-Journal and write your heart out to nourish and calm your soul.
