Soul Scientist

Psalm 30:11-12 ESV You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Winter is a rest time for plants in preparation for the fast growth in spring and summer. During winter’s rest time, the process of vernalization is activated in plants. Vernalization is required for new growth in seed, fruit, and flower production in perennial plants when spring comes. Plants will auto-pilot to vegetative growth if they don’t undergo the stresses of winter to activate vernalization. In the process of vernalization, the natural stop mechanism for the reproductive growth of seed, fruit, and flower production is reset. This reset is important because when the warmer temperatures and longer days of spring occur, reproductive growth will then resume alongside normal vegetative growth of leaves and roots.

The importance of vernalization is best seen in climates (or in years) without extended cold periods. In climates or years without sustained winter weather conditions, reproductive growth can be stunted or absent because only vegetative growth occurs without activation of reproductive growth from vernalization. This principle of plants preferring vegetative growth also applies in the timing of fertilizer application and a crop’s grain or fruit production. If fertilizer is applied too late in the growing season of annual plants which only grow for one growing season, the crop will keep growing rapidly in vegetation and not convert to grain or fruit production. Without the stress of lower nutrient levels acting like winter’s vernalization of perennial plants, the crop plants keep putting all their energies into vegetative growth. They do this because they haven’t been activated to switch to reproductive growth and the need to prepare for the next generation through grain or fruit production. Reproductive growth required for grain or fruit production demands more energy resources than vegetative growth. Thus, it is not chosen by plants unless stressors activate the cycle of senescence leading to possible or eventual death of the annual crop plants.

When spring does come after winter’s rest, perennial plants are ready to burst into the abundant beauty of both reproductive and vegetative growth. They are eager to resume increased water and nutrient uptake through vigorous new root growth and photosynthesis in new leaves ripe with bright green chlorophyll for increased photosynthesis. Soon, plump buds will bloom into flowers followed by fruit as summer approaches. And then culminate in the harvest of fall which wouldn’t have been present if not for the previous winter’s work of preparing the plants through vernalization.

Similarly, the garden of my life is prepared for the potentially abundant growth of a Matthew 13:23 100-fold harvest by a winter of grief and loss. Many times, God uses a time of mourning to activate joy to bloom and bear fruit and weeping to precede the harvest of dancing, as seen in the verses above from Psalm 30. As well as I know these truths in my head, my heart still wants to refuse them because I don’t want to go through winter in my life. I want the abundance of joy, hope, and happiness of spring and summer days of blessing. I want a fall full of the harvest of maturity in my life.

And I want all of this without the grief, pain, or loss of winter.

Yet the unrecognized (and sometimes rejected) blessings of a winter suffering full of grief, pain, and loss with their many demands on my life is a gift which focus my attention and resources on that which is vital for life, Christ Jesus (see John 10:10).     

The fall of my tears, the weight of my pain, and the slowing of my activities in response to a winter of pain, grief, or loss vernalizes me. In the doing, winter’s pain removes the stop mechanism of arrogance in my life and makes way for the reproductive growth of the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). My auto-pilot vegetative growth of my arrogance in making things happen for me in my time and my strength for those things that make me look good would take over if not reset by a time of a winter of suffering, i.e., pain, grief, and loss.

Winter’s pain resets my natural inclinations for sin and self so that fruit will be borne in and from my life to nourish others, both for now and generations to come. If I try and do everything possible to escape (or quicken) this necessary vernalization process, then I can lose the full benefit of a winter in my life. This principle is best seen in Romans 5:3-5 NASB And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I want the harvest of character and hope without the winter of pain and loss but that’s not how the growth process occurs.

Suffering activates the necessary process of loss of self.

Thus, in suffering’s vernalization, if I respond to my Good God in faith and trusting obedience. He uses the suffering to make me ready for the replacement of my agendas with the essential and eternal treasure of Christ, the One who is the bringer and bearer of fruit. Trials create the growing environment necessary for learning the truth that only that which is done for and through Him is that fruit which lasts for all seasons and all time (see Matthew 6:19-21).

Jesus, please change my heart even now so that I can truly say these words along with David today, O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! (Psalm 30:12b ESV).

And I bet you want to say those words today, too.**

*For those of you who’ve been here a while with the blog, you might recognize this excerpt from “the gift of winter” blog post from a few years ago. Thank you for being here then and still now! Whether you’ve been here for years or just came today, I surely hope this excerpt from “Good Seed” might encourage you to see suffering as a place where our Good God can change your life into being good soil ready to receive His seeds of hope, grace, faith, mercy, and love for a harvest of many more folks.

**If you were encouraged by this and like to see more on this thought of the gift of winter, please make sure and sign up to follow the blog with your email as I’ll be posting parts 2 and 3 soon.

written (and rewritten) by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2026