Hidden in the cold

Winter in the garden. The ground is hidden under a few inches of snow and the temperature in the mornings is in the single digits. But life is hidden in the garden in January. The branches of the lilac bush outside my den window show signs of leaf buds swelling. The peach tree looks dormant, but inside the branches, future leaves and blossoms and next year’s sweet peaches are hiding. Potential. Promise. While each season has a distinct feature, the rhythm of the seasons overlap, one leading into the next. The hawthorn tree displays memories of the past season, with red berries providing bright contrast to the cold, fresh snow.

Hawthorn Fruit

In the first book of the Narnia series (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), C.S. Lewis describes the frozen state of Narnia under the evil spell as always winter and never Christmas. The inhabitants of Narnia had given up hope of winter ending. But winter does end, and the promise of spring is hidden but present in this season.

---