Seeing God in the Darkness of Winter

This will be the first time that I (Martha) will experience a real winter all the way through. Every other time we’ve been in Pennsylvania at this time of year, we've had to leave right after Christmas. But during this current furlough we will be in Pennsylvania throughout the winter season.
I normally get all excited for fall and love seeing the leaves turn their beautiful, brilliant colors. But this year those leaves also brought more than a hint of apprehension, because I knew what was coming next. I knew those leaves were beautiful because they were dying. I knew those leaves would fall and leave the trees barren, empty, and dark. The days would soon be short, cold, and dark. And sure enough, that is exactly what has happened.

As I sit here and write, I can see the dead trees set against a backdrop of gray, dreary clouds. The days are short and dark. Lately, there has been a lot of talk in our house about how God reveals himself to us in nature. We find it hard to imagine that anyone could believe there is no God when there is evidence of God all around us. Last week, that was more apparent to me than ever before when I woke up to a world of white. It had snowed all night long, and every one of those bare and leafless branches was now draped in sparkling white.

    Tree branches draped in sparkling white

It stayed that way for three whole days. I couldn’t get used to it. Every time I stepped outside, I thought I was in Narnia. I decided that, even though it was freezing outside, I had to get out and photograph the trees. They were ornate works of art that resembled a labyrinth of fine lace. I walked around the neighborhood surprised and delighted by the intricate details of each tree’s design—details I never would have seen if the branches had not been stripped bare of their leaves. It was then that I realized they were beautiful because they had lost their leaves. With branches stripped bare, the snow covered every part of the tree, creating a stunning and vibrant outline instead of just dead-looking ‘tree bones’ as they are called in Enga.

What once looked dead and dark had now become alive and bright. In fact, the whole neighborhood was lit up with striking beauty. I was struck by was how white snow is. I just kept saying, “It’s so white.” I didn’t know the color white could be so … white! I then found myself thinking about the words from the hymn “Nothing but the Blood.”

Oh, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

I never realized just how white and pure the blood of Jesus made us. I had to smile as I became aware of another way that God reveals himself in the natural world around us. I love the imagery of light overcoming darkness, and here it was again in a way I had never seen.

“I didn’t know the color white could be so … white!”

This Christmas we have much to be thankful for. We are all together this year. Adam continues to work with the Enga Bible translation team remotely and is now checking the Old Testament books that have been drafted. He is also helping our organization with year-end financial reporting. Jacob has applied to a few colleges and is very excited about transferring to a four-year school next year. We are so thankful for Adam’s mom, Heather, who watched over Jacob for the 18 months we were apart, and for the faithful prayer warriors who prayed for him and the rest of our family during that time. Bella had a great first semester at Taylor University, and we are so grateful that her transition to the States, though not easy, has gone well. We love having her at home with us. She too had a very exciting first snow experience.

Asher is the one we worried about the most this past year. This furlough we chose to put Asher in school rather than homeschool him. This is the first time he has experienced school in the U.S. We are more than thankful for the experience he has had at Eden Christian Academy. He has made many friends and is on the basketball team, an experience that we did not think he was going to get during our year in the U.S. He is also learning to drive and spending lots of time behind the wheel.

Bella fully enjoying the first major snowfall of the year

After 15 years as missionaries, we now have friends all over the United States and in many countries throughout the world—people who have been part of our lives in various places and through different seasons. We miss you! We’d love to hear from you and know what is happening in your life. Please send an email, a text, a note, or make a phone call. Let us know how we can pray for you. I think that’s all I really want for Christmas.

Every year it can be a struggle to make Christmas about Jesus. It is always a busy time with concerts, sports, and all the obligatory Christmas preparations that have nothing to do with celebrating the birth of Christ. But I hope this Christmas you can steal away a moment to worship the newborn King who brings light into a world of darkness.