The excitement of the holidays has passed, and (hopefully) the decorations have come down. Resolutions have possibly become dormant disappointments – or perhaps they’ve become physical representations of a “new year, new you.” And now, it’s February – the month bookended by the merriment of Christ’s birth and the earthen celebration of life and renewal of spring. But what is February, really? It’s the in-between. Brown, dull, cold, a depicted hibernation of life.

We have Februarys in our spiritual lives, too. Where times of elation, joy, and exultation fade into quiet waiting. Maybe waiting for answers in desperate cries or simple whispers of unanswered longings—for renewed hope, for healing, for clarity. And instead of answers, there’s silence.

It is in the waiting that God often works most beautifully. The pruning is quietly happening. John 15:1-2 reminds us, “I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” Growth is not always noticeable. Sometimes, it’s slow and unseen, happening beneath the surface.

While we wait, we are simply asked to trust, pray and believe. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8) Keeping our roots near the water ensures that our hearts, mind and spirits are being filled with God’s promises as we wait.

A plant’s growth in the spring is often dependent upon how it is pruned in the winter. February has a magnificent purpose: the hushed preparation for transformation that is merely weeks away. The unseen miracles are quietly happening, setting the stage for new life.

Embrace the Februarys of your journey with God. In the waiting, there is purpose.