Samantha McFadden
I’m one of those weird souls that loves winter. There aren’t a lot of us. I get excited when I wake up, and there’s a heavy frost on a winter morning because I know I’m going to see something rare and special. I am anticipating beauty. There’s nothing more breathtaking to. me than a frosty morning sunrise, the really thick kind of frost. There’s a blue-gray fog that lingers and softens the light when the grass, the rooftops, and the trees are all glittering with frost. On those mornings, the Lord paints the sky with a color palette that only comes out a few times a year here. The sky is swirled with periwinkle blue, lavender, lilac, and blush pink. When the light streaks through the fog, the frost begins to sparkle and shine. It’s captivating. Every time I get to see it, I try to soak it in and capture the memory in my mind, because a camera can never really capture it all.
I had one of those mornings recently, and as I drove around taking kids to school, I was thinking, “How many people are actually seeing this and taking it in?” How many of us notice that what’s around us has been so artistically crafted to feed. our souls with beauty? It’s so easy for us to get lost in the discomfort and inconveniences that a cold morning like this brings; like if we didn’t have time to warm up the car, we’re outside scraping thick frost from the windows, and we have to drive around in bulky winter coats.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God. transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing and perfect.
Having a kingdom view is about so much more than just noticing the beauty of nature, but it is very much an awareness of God and His Presence. We seek His will for our lives and let go of some of our own plans, trusting that His are better. As we come into 2026, we are believing that the Lord is preparing us for something – a fresh season of devotion, identity, and surrender. What’s the winter morning in your life? Is there something He’s calling you into? Are you finding yourself lost in the inconvenience and discomfort of something new? What’s keeping you from anticipating the beauty He’s creating for you?
PRAYER
King Jesus, as I enter this new year, let it be with a heart that is anticipating something new and beautiful. Let me get lost in the excitement of seeing everything with Kingdom eyes. May my soul be filled with childlike wonder over what You have waiting for me. Lord, what do You want me to know in this moment?
I bless each one reading this today – that there will be something in your day that you will see with fresh eyes and a new perspective, that something as ordinary as a winter morning will suddenly become rare and beautiful in your sight.
