Hope is one of the most precious gifts of winter.
Hope is one of the most essential gifts of winter.
No matter how I may feel, Christ is my hope of glory.
This truth about Christ is “for sure and for certain” as the Amish would say (see Colossians 1:27). And I know He remains “for sure and for certain”, no matter how long or how strong or how dark or how deep a winter may be. Jesus remains unchanging, true, and faithful even when I falter in hoping and believing during this long winter. The surety of this hope has put steel into my spine during the past fifteen years and continues to do so today.
Hope also protects me from the hard frosts of doubts and defeat which try to come, stay, and harden a tender heart planted here in the unyielding (sometimes iced over) soil of this winter garden. Also, Jesus as my hope allows just enough pain to break apart more of my cells of arrogance and release a sweeter faith that helps me to taste and see that my God is my refuge and forever good in all He does (see Psalm 34:8).
Winter is a gift I never wanted but has become a gift I’d never exchange.
I treasure winter because of what I’ve learned about God in these past fifteen years. The faith that grows in winter is sharper, deeper, richer, and distinctive just like edelweiss or early daffodils poking up through snow. Even now as more stripping of my life’s foliage continues and winter deepens, I pray for evidence of faith growing hidden beneath the snow as I plead morning by morning in expectation of His mercies made new and His love to satisfy as nothing else can (see Psalm 5:3).
Such things as greater loss of independence in daily choices, more awareness that I am dust (and returning to dust), and a necessary calendaring and scheduling of medicines, treatments, scans, and medical appointments try to choke out joy’s bloom with the chill of worry as winter’s grip tightens its hold on my body.
Yet even here, or in the deepest of winters that might come, I have a death-grip on the truth that nothing can ever come between Christ and his unfailing love for me (see Romans 8:31-39). And likewise, I know Christ has a death-grip on me and holds me fast in His power and purpose.
Freedom is found in the truth that as I die, Christ’s life blooms in and from me.
I rest in the truth that no pain, no grief, no loss is able to keep those buds of joy from filling and swelling in anticipation of the spring of Christ’s appearing. For there in one day, in the spring that’s coming and will stay forever, I will know the full truth of Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
Likewise, no pain, no grief, no loss is able to keep the seeds of faith from germinating in the garden of my heart. These faith-seeds can vigorously grow today and every day because He has already conquered death and hell, once for all and once for ever (see Revelation 3:21)!
Thank You, Jesus, for the many life-giving gifts of winter.
Thank You, Jesus, for hope.
There’s always hope because there’s always Jesus.
*This was the last part of the series called “Revisiting Winter.” If you missed reading parts 1 and 2, here are the links for them:
written by (and edited by) and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2026.
Soul Scientist 
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