Josh Mifflin

I hate the cold. I hate having to bundle up into five layers just to take out the trash. I hate having to scrape off my car because it’s covered in ice. I hate the cold, except for one thing: it forces me to slow down.

The coldness outside makes me unwind for a second and reflect. It draws me back to the warmth of inside.

I love nature and being outside in God’s creation, but I’ve also begun to learn the beauty of turning down the lights, lighting a candle, and being still before my Creator.

For someone as extroverted and energetic as me, this can be incredibly intimidating, let me tell you. But the contemplative life — the quiet, prayerful meditation that only comes when you’re still — is critically important to deepening a relationship with our Creator.

Being surrounded by nature on a warm, sunny day is beautiful, but so is listening to the soft whisper of God in a quiet room on a cold day.