12.03.2025 | First Wednesday of Advent

Bare Branches, Bright Hope
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
 
Winter’s Reminder
 
The cold and snow have lingered these past few days. If you were wondering whether winter had arrived, wonder no more. The trees stand bare; their leaves tucked into small crevices all around us.
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Bare trees give us hope that change is possible. A tree without leaves reminds us of the art of letting go. In early December, a tree stripped of its foliage whispers that nothing is meant to last forever. Sometimes we must release certain things: relationships, jobs, even old habits, in order to grow and thrive. It’s a powerful metaphor for life, one that has resonated for centuries.

Life is nothing but a cycle of changes. Endings are not failures; they are necessary passages. Even a fallen leaf carries beauty, teaching us to honor the close of autumn. There is wisdom scattered across the ground, in the leaves beneath our feet and in the stark silhouettes of the trees above.

This season also reminds us of the importance of waiting. As Advent begins, we light a candle and ponder the beauty that can appear from winter’s stillness. The light will come. Until then, the fallen leaves remind us of endings with beauty, the bare trees remind us of change with promise, and the Advent candle reminds us of light yet to come. In the stillness of winter, may we wait with hope, pray with trust, and welcome the new growth that is on its way.
 
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
— Lamentations 3:22–23
 
Leaves may fall, but love endures.