I learned a word that rang in my soul the other day. It brought warmth to my heart, and I felt hungry to share with you all– 

Apricity. The warm glow of the sun in the middle of winter. 

Where I am from,  the sun in the midst of winter is often a contradiction that exists in the realms of living near mountain ranges. In the mountains, the snow comes piling down and fills our streets from November until March before melting. Icy temperatures are foreseen in the forecast. Seasonal depression lurks in every household, as it is months and months of dark, icy, lonely winters. Coming from a state with colder weather, I say I prefer the snow and coldness around the sparkly holiday seasons. But months of it? It is a frosty & frigid battle, waiting for warmth in the air. 

That desperation to feel the summer glow is prominent in the middle of winter. Much like in the darkest of hours, there is a desperation to see the light. Apricity is a noun that holds a beautiful meaning that has fallen out of usage in our language.

But I challenge you to bring the beauty of this word back into your diction with the presence of the Lord. That warm glow in the depths of winter is the appearance of God’s heart in our lives. There are life moments where it seems only the gloomy days exist, and the wind chill freezes our bones to rigid stillness. Throughout the winter months, it is hard to get outside because you don’t want to feel your lips start chapping, the nerves in your fingers start to ironically burn in the freezing temperatures, and the feeling in your nose disappears. 

However, there are many moments in the passing of the long winter months, when you step in bravery to fight those temperatures & the sun pierces through the sky. The rays of warmth splatter your face and warm your soul. There is this irony that exists at that moment. That your body & mind walk in a hurry to minimize the pain and the sting of cold air, but then the sun just puts a stop to your escape from the cold. The sun feels way too good to ignore, it is too captivating to overlook. 

Those winter months feel like our lives at times. The seasons where feels like the sun is nowhere to be seen. The gloomy skies shadow our hope to see the light. Our bones are too cold to know what warmth feels like again. 

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

 The Lord make His face shine upon you & be gracious to you

The Lord turns His face toward you and gives you peace.”

     Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

That warming glow of the sun in the depths of the winter is the appearance of our Lord. The warming, inviting, loving reminder that no matter how desperate or frozen we feel, He breaks through the skies again & again. The radiance He brings, when we take that bold move to break through the storm and glance at the sky above, never fails to warm your cold bones back to life. 

When we are in the middle of winter, He is the warm glow of the sun. 

The winter months may bring drought and dehydration to our harvest. But Jesus is the living water that never lets us get thirsty. The Holy Spirit will be tending the soil so we can continue to grow in the direction of the warm glow. 

Find that warm glow, for His face shines upon you. Daily.

With all my heart,

Haley

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