by Victoria Heinecke

It only seems silent.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“My God, whom I praise,
    do not remain silent,”
Psalm 109:1 New International Version (NIV)

In the summer, this garden is buzzing – quite literally! – with activity. There are vegetable plants in every corner. Many are cultivated with the same care that was taken when their seed was selected from the catalog. Here and there, there are flowers along the fence and in hanging baskets. Its gardeners also encourage and nurture the “Volunteers,” which are vegetables that were planted by a fallen fruit or a careless animal. It’s interesting to discover what the plant will be when it first sprouts, unexpectedly, in an unusual place.

Yes, this garden is a lively place for most of the year, until the winter snows arrive. Walk outside now, and all you’ll hear is the quiet crunch of the snow. It seems desolate, but a bench and a chair serve as a reminder to come back and sit when the weather grows warm again.

While it’s beautiful, the garden’s silence can seem unnerving.

Sometimes, the Christian endures a spiritual winter. It’s cold and eerily silent, as if God isn’t there. It can last for what seems an eternity, as the present situation doesn’t show signs of change. It tries one’s patience, but patience is what is needed the most.

“I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.
I believe in love, even though I don’t feel it.
I believe in God, even when he is silent.*”

During a spiritual winter, it becomes vital to seek God even more.

There is a place to sit with God and spend time with him. His invitation is always open, and he always has time. The bench isn’t snow-covered, either. Read his word and talk to him.

Spring is on the way, and with it will come new life!

“Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Psalm 9:10 NIV

* poem originally written on a prison wall in Auschwitz during the Holocaust.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado