Tidings of Comfort

Words for the silent Word himself to speak
Before the cross, above the open book,
Read them aloud and wait till they are true.
-Malcolm Guite

As the temperature drops, I seek cosiness. I seek a comfortable spot in my cold, tiny home with a cup of tea and a stack of books. The sunlight coming through the curtains is welcome when it's cold. But our weather shifts, back and forth, from warm and muggy to chilled with brief days of cold.

More than any other time of year, winter is when we seek the comfort of our warm homes. Warm both in temperature and in spirit. I find myself seeking tidings of comfort lately, with appeals to myself to hang out at home. To be away from the busy streets, traffic, parking lots, and stores. It appeals to the inner me - the one who wants to be cosy at home writing and filling pages. It brings me comfort to write words down at last.

There is something in me that has been seeking out the comfort. Maybe it is because the world is so harsh, my heart yearns for the opposite to counter the effects of it. Maybe because when I do take a deep breathe, I feel as if I can see above a line of clouds. Clearer and clearer vision becomes, when we take a step back.

The comforts of the season are of home and people, yes, but that comfort to which I appeal is the comfort of God in thoughtful moments of solitude and prayer. Getting away from the bustling world, to do as Jesus did, go up the mountain to pray. We should seek our spiritual retreat as well, more often than we do.

Seek a quiet solitude.
A mountain above all the noise.