Winter is Coming?
Isn’t that a line from Game of Thrones? I think so. I tried reading the books once, but every other page sent me flipping to the back to decipher who belonged to which family. George R.R. Martin, bless him—start with five characters next time, not five hundred.
But anyway… this has absolutely nothing to do with today’s topic.
Is Winter Actually Coming?
It’s mid-November. It’s 71°F at 8:00 a.m. The forecast calls for thunderstorms this afternoon with a high of 80°F. “Imagine my shock,” she said sarcastically.
The calendar insists winter is on the way.
The weather in the South, however, is a notorious free spirit.
Down here, we don’t get the stereotypical Hallmark postcard winters. We do get cold—very cold—for about four or five random days a year. I’ve got my puffy coat, long underwear, fleece-lined boots, and mittens ready for those days.
“For five whole minutes, I look like Ralphie’s little brother from A Christmas Story just taking the garbage to the street.”
And you bet I wear the whole ensemble just to deliver my trash to the curb… because if you can’t be cozy and dramatic about it, what are we even doing here?
Then I come back inside, peel off the layers, slip into warm pajamas, and grab that final cup of coffee like it’s the trophy I’ve earned.
But Winter Is More Than a Season
Of course, the line “Winter is coming” carries more weight than mere weather patterns. It’s a metaphor, a reminder, a quiet tapping on the window of the soul that says:
slow down, take stock, prepare your heart.
“Some winters happen outside. Some happen inside. And we feel both.”
King Solomon, a man who clearly lived long enough to see a few cycles himself, put it this way: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Every challenge, every quiet season, every dip in energy or emotion? Someone somewhere has walked it too.
Are You Ready for Winter?
Not the temperature drop.
Not the frost on your windshield.
Not the embarrassing sprint across the yard when you realize you forgot to bring the trashcan back in.
The real winter is internal.
It’s the season that calls for:
noticing what’s changing
accepting what’s slowing down
giving yourself grace
gathering what warms you
preparing for what might be difficult
“Winter doesn’t always bring snow, but it always brings a shift.”
Whether or not we get frost, winter arrives for every one of us—sometimes quietly, sometimes all at once. And fortunately, we’re allowed to meet it wrapped in wisdom and fleece-lined boots.
Sidebar Reflection — “Your Personal Winter Prep”
Use this little pause as your warm-mug-in-hand moment.
Ask yourself:
1. What part of my life feels like it’s entering winter?
A relationship? Energy? Motivation? A dream I’ve been resting from?
2. What would help me feel prepared rather than overwhelmed?
More rest? A routine? A boundary? A conversation?
3. What’s one cozy, gentle thing I can give myself this season?
A book. A ritual. A moment. Permission to slow down.
4. What’s one thing I need to put away—like seasonal clutter?
An expectation? A habit? A fear I’ve outgrown?
5. What warmth can I cultivate for myself?
People. Practices. Places. Possibilities.
Winter isn’t here to freeze us.
It’s here to remind us that even resting is a kind of growing.
Blessings,
Bethanne
