Amidst the Frost

I share with many a love for this holiday season, and my reasons go deeper than one might first imagine.

This season is a time of joyous thanksgiving and feasting, followed by the sharing of gifts with those we love, and sometimes even with a stranger or two. It is also the only time we can behold delicate flakes falling from the sky like a graceful ballet, each blanketing the landscape with a white, effervescent glow. This pristine veneer, sent from the heavens, is a glorious gift from God’s creation above—a gift reserved for this season alone.

And with the season now upon us, our stone fireplace will stand primed and ready to warm us from winter’s chill. It will surely be lit on the coldest days and the darkest of nights. Finally, as the holiday draws near, our gifts are prepared—each one a wrapped and Scotch-taped trinket intended to bring delight to a friendly soul. These gifts serve as gentle reminders that everyone is loved, both in Heaven and on Earth.

I remember when we lived on the East Coast and received over four feet of snow one Christmas evening. After the snow was cleared from the walkways around our apartment, my wife and I went for a scenic walk along the quiet, narrow paths and barren roadways beyond. That evening, the wide Main Street at the heart of our town—usually bustling with traffic—was completely empty, like a desolate wasteland. The world as we knew it had come to a complete halt. No automobiles, buses, or cyclists—just a few sparse and adventurous souls admiring the sudden change of pace, as were we.

Above the solid gray overcast, the sun began to set as we wandered through no-man’s-land, our only comforts being each other and the knowledge we had shelter to return to and a glowing fireplace to chase away the chill. I don’t recall if we had other storms that season, but it didn’t matter, because there was always a cozy dwelling place awaiting our return.

But I cannot deny my personal toils. The older I get, the more the numbing cold bites at my hands and feet. At times, no matter the clothing worn, that incessant chill still seems to cut through the fabric and reach the depths of my being. Such discomforts are mere nuisances because my shelter is never very far away. It is a place of warmth, full of gifts, blessings, and my daily bread—a harbor for a frozen heart or two.

Strangely enough, this frigid season is welcoming to me now. I’ve even grown to prefer it, somehow. Perhaps it’s the serenity outside, as souls shelter in place with tendrils of smoke rising lazily from their chimneys—a stark contrast to a bustling summer’s day. Or perhaps, in the depths of my heart, it reminds me that, like a heart beating amidst the frost, Jesus had what I needed and restored what I had once lost.

But now, I’ve finally returned to the shelter, and His warmth has returned. He is my comfort and eternal refuge. Despite the ice, the slips, and the falls, He remains a place of profound peace, especially during the colder seasons.

May the warmth of Jesus and the Father shine upon us this holiday season.

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Matthew 2:11

“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:29