Those of you who are fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series will recall that the 6th book in the series is titled The Long Winter. This book details her family's experiences of living in the small homesteading town of DeSmet, South Dakota, during the winter of 1880-81. This winter began in mid-October with a series of storms that persisted into the early spring months. The book concludes with the long-awaited arrival of a train in late April, bring much needed supplies and food.
Here in northern Utah, we have just concluded one of our longest winters. It began in somewhat typical fashion with snowfall in early November. What occurred in atypical fashion, however, is that this early snow did not completely melt prior to the onset of more substantial snow several weeks later. Throughout the winter, this early November snow remained buried in our yard. This winter result in many broken records related to snowfall and water. Most notably, one of our ski resorts received over 900 inches of snow. Just as we thought we were on the brink of having the snow melt away for the season, we received several more feet in the valley during the first week of April. Here's some of the local evidence.
The persistent snow has also resulted in an extremely delayed spring. The final patch of snow in our backyard melted away only this past week on April 27. Additionally, the persistent snow and cold temperatures have delayed the emergence of the spring flowers and leaves. In many ways, this has resulted in a sense of disconnect between the date on the calendar and the views outside. This Friday, however, patches of early spring green began to appear on the hillside behind our house amidst the residual patches of snow. Just today, blossoms began appearing on our flowering tree in the front yard.
In some ways, these past three years have also been a bit of a long winter of the soul. The convergence of the pandemic, politics, and consequences of patriarchy in my larger faith community have taken their toll. I was unprepared for the unexpected magnitude of what these years would reveal. These years have also brought a series of additional losses and challenges, not all of which were directly related to the above named three Ps.
So, just what does all of the above have to do with a wool applique project? I bought this project in early 2022 for a few reasons: 1) During January, I like to have blue winter-themed decor out and about to take away the empty feeling after the Christmas decorations come down; 2) I loved the design itself with the church in the winter snow and the bluejay on the fence; and 3) the verse itself is one that resonated with me. Through world and national disruptions, through seasons of loss and heartache, God does, indeed, guide us always and is faithful.
These past three years have brought to light just how crucial it is to be grounded in and guided by God's Word and not by those who would assume to be "leaders." To be clear, I don't consider myself to be a "deconstructor." If anything, I think of my own "long winter" of being more akin to Hebrews 12:1 and putting off obstacles that entangle to be able to run with endurance the race set before me.
And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11 (NASB)
