Winterize…what an interesting term and one that may be unknown to you (kind of like Forest Bathing or protinus—I’ll explain that one at later time!); especially if you live in a location without freezing temperatures. However, if you invest even a trivial amount of time sitting around a dining table or a campfire with Campers on Mission, you are likely to increase your education regarding how vital a process this is to an RV (recreational vehicle). You also increase the likelihood of hearing horror stories about what can occur when an RV owner skips this step. Camping World explains the specific steps one might follow to Winterize an RV, but I offer the simple explanation that it is anything related to water that is done as you prepare to store your camper for a period of disuse. Typically, owners do not hit the road again until temperatures consistently remain above freezing, or perhaps that’s just my dad’s way of reducing his traveling workload and using the accommodations of my guest room!

Like the actions an RV owner takes to Winterize their investment from frigid temperatures, a gardener or homeowner might use mulch or plastic as a barrier to assist plants in surviving the harsh winter months. But the reality is that God designed many living things to go into a period of dormancy, or rest, during this season in order to prepare their soft tissues against freezing weather. Just like the RV owner who removes all the water from the pipes and systems throughout the camper, plants remove liquids that might freeze and be damaging as they enter into a period of slow growth. Jobes offers, “Like our bodies restoring themselves when we sleep, their cell membranes are maintained, and proteins are broken down and remade. Even so, plants are not as autonomous as humans, so they can benefit from our help to stay protected.”

Humans are often not that different from our RVs and plants in that God often Winterizes us in what some people describe as a spiritual winter, or what Sara Hagerty refers to as God doing something underground that she cannot see. We don’t exactly roll out the red carpet or welcome mat for these seasons, but sometimes they are necessary tools that God uses to assist us in developing a Habit of Growth or Resilience on our journey to a flourishing life. In her book Unseen, Hagerty shares, “You don’t see it like I do. I know what’s best—I know you best. The story you want, though not bad, isn’t the story I have for you. Will you let Me write your story? [Sound familiar?—Stealing the Pen]. This is the invitation God offers in the winters of my soul. An invitation to trust that my story is His story. And if I let Him Winterize Me, He will deepen my roots and help me to stretch my branches toward Him—for my good and for His glory.”

My colleague, friend, and author, Beth Madison offers insight into the blessings that can arise from a spiritual winter in her post entitled Gift of Winter, but I’m doubtful that many of us are offering up prayers to God requesting, “Please, Winterize Me!” Instead, I’m pleading that He remove me from the Waiting Room, from this hard season of life, and instead bless me. Give me what I want, not necessarily what I need. Who does this? Obviously, someone much more spiritually mature than myself. But because I vow to engage in Everyday Faithfulness, to believe what He promises in Scripture, I know that if I dare utter the words “Winterize Me,” He will choose to show Himself during this season and bless me far beyond anything I could ever imagine for my life. I’m just a little more welcoming to experiences that feel more like spring and blooms and sunny days than I am to the dark days of winter.

No one relishes a season of trials, tribulation, or heartache, but I hope you will consider sharing, in the comments below, of a time when God might have Winterized you and, like Beth, found it to be a gift.

References:

CCW, Inc. (2021, October 6). How to winterize your RV. [Blog post]. Camping World. Retrieved from https://blog.campingworld.com/rv-basics/how-to-winterize-your-rv/

Easy Gardner Products. (2018, December 21). When plants go dormant: How hibernating helps them survive. Retrieved from https://jobescompany.com/blog/when-plants-go-dormant-how-hibernating-helps-them-survive/

Hagerty, S. (2018, September 4). How to survive a spiritual winter. Desiring God. Retrieved from https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-survive-a-spiritual-winter

Hagerty, S. (2017). Unseen: The gift of being hidden in a world that loves to be noticed. Zondervan.