Reflection

It seems that, at some point in the last week or two, we have turned a corner in Winnipeg to find that winter is suddenly here in full force. The snow, which was so scarce only a few weeks ago, is now piling up on the ground outside my office window. I find myself once again needing to drive to winter road conditions, and I need to dig out toques, mittens and scarves before leaving the house even for short errands.

This season reminds me of an experience I had a few years ago, on a January afternoon much like this one, when I bundled up to take a walk, get some fresh air and find some space for quiet reflection—because somehow, I seem to do my best thinking when I’m out for a walk among the trees. Walking through Crescent Drive Park that day, I noticed that the same paths I had walked with ease only a few weeks ago had become hard-packed and narrow with a thin gloss of ice forming over the surface. Naturally, I slowed my pace to adjust.

As I did so, I realized how often I fail to adjust my expectations to the season of life in which I find myself, assuming that one speed (usually full speed ahead, if I’m honest) will suit any season. Perhaps winter offers us an opportunity to pause and ask ourselves, What season do I find myself in? Am I experiencing a season that brings lots of energy and excitement? Or is this a season when I’m more anxious than normal, or encountering health issues that invite me to allow myself to slow my pace a little? Is this a season where God is inviting me to experiment with a new spiritual practice, or is this a time to get cozy and allow myself to welcome the comfort of well-worn patterns?

As we watch the created world around us embrace the realities of a Manitoba winter, how are you embracing the season of life in which you find yourself? Are you traveling to the conditions—or do you find yourself needing to adjust your pace somehow? Can you use a companion for this leg of the journey? The pastoral team is always happy to hear how we might walk alongside you!

Whatever the season of life you find yourself in, let’s be encouraged by the words of Scripture: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…Ecclesiastes 3:1

Travel well this week!

- Pastor Kathy McCamis