Wednesday Word . . . The Bleak Midwinter
“In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter, long ago.” – Hymn 112
A few weeks ago I was talking with a friend and they mentioned that this was their favorite Christmas hymn. As I sat eating breakfast yesterday, I looked out at the field and mountains with dawn just beginning to break over the hills. The trees were stark, dark and leafless, deep into their winter hibernation. The grassy field and mountains were all monochromatic winter brown with the snow from last week’s storm laying hard-packed on the ground. And as I looked out, this hymn came to mind.
We have come to that point in the year when we start noticing the sun rising earlier. Morning commutes aren’t necessarily happening in the dark. We can see that spring is coming.
It occurred to me, though, that the “bleak midwinter” doesn’t take place in the dark. The bleak midwinter doesn’t take place when we are deep in winter and the sun doesn’t peak over the horizon until much later. It doesn’t take place when mornings and evenings are dark.
Instead, the bleak midwinter happens now – still in the dead of winter, but when the sun begins to rise earlier. It happens when there’s just enough light to see the dark and stark trees. It happens when the only thing you seem to see is one long, monochromatic shade of brown. It happens when the hard-packed snow doesn’t glisten, but is only a whiter shade of pale.
But here’s the thing about the bleak midwinter: it happens when there’s just enough light to see the bleakness. It happens as the light begins to drive back the darkness.
We may be in the bleak midwinter. The frosty wind moans over earth standing hard as iron when water turns to stone. But darkness is losing its grip, and light begins to take hold. So wherever you may be, and whatever bleakness you are facing, know that it will not last because the light is coming.
Blessings,
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