It’s officially soup season. It’s common knowledge that I don’t like to cook and don’t do it often, but I do break down on occasion and make soup. The problem is, I don’t know how to make a little. It’s always a crockpot full of ingredients, leaving me with days of eating the same thing. Still, for me, soup is about more than just a meal. The smell wafts throughout the house, providing added warmth on cold days. Given the weather we’ve had the last couple of weeks, we need to find ways to warm our bodies and our souls in these days of winter’s darkness and chill. We need something more than chili or vegetable soup can provide.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1).
One other thing I’ve noticed over the past couple of weeks is the pull to go to bed earlier and earlier. It doesn’t take long, once winter settles in, to notice how early the shadows fall. The afternoon sun slips away as though it, too, is ready to go home, eat a bowl of soup, and climb under the covers to get warm. Long nights feel heavy, not only on the skin but also on the spirit.
Yet darkness sharpens our awareness of light. One small candle flame becomes noticeable. A lamp in one room feels inviting. We draw near to brightness more eagerly in the darkest seasons.
The same is true with God. When days are long, warm, and sunny, and life feels bright, it’s somehow easier to feel God’s presence. But in winter seasons—of the body, heart, and mind—we begin to crave his light in a new way. We seek. We lean in. Maybe that’s why it’s a good thing that Christmas comes in December; we need the light of the Christ child in our darkest days.
But the truth is that God doesn’t shine less brightly in the winter seasons of life. It’s only that our need for it grows. When our eyes adjust, God’s light in darkness becomes even more precious.
If you have time today, light a candle during your prayer time. Sit with it for a moment and ask God: Where do I need your light to fall more clearly in my life? Take notice. Think about ways to intentionally seek out God’s light in moments when the darkness threatens to overcome you. Why have a candle you never light or a lamp you never turn on?
Prayer: God of brilliant mercy, shine into the places I can’t see clearly. When my life feels dim or uncertain, help me seek your light—not as a last resort, but as my first longing. Brighten my spirit with the warmth of your presence, and teach me to notice the glow of your grace, even in these shorter days and longer nights. Amen.
