Even if you love winter, it comes at a high price. Living in one of the cold states, you see the color palette narrow dramatically to a few shades of tan or brown and not much else.

Now, I can live without the bombastic reds, yellows, and pinks that come with spring and summer. But the near-total disappearance of green is a loss I do not take lightly.

So, imagine my delight when a recent morning walk on a favorite trail revealed an unexpected tuft of green. Green, in the middle of winter!

Did you know that the human eye can detect more shades of green than any other color? Going for a walk in the green has been proven to reduce stress, improve mood, increase creativity, and enhance cognitive functioning. No wonder my wife and I love camping!

Against all odds, lacking any typical explanation, the little tuft on the trail is alive, thriving, and—best of all—green. Determined and defiant, its presence makes a joyful statement in an otherwise silent landscape.

It got me thinking. Isn't this the kind of Christian you want to be—alive, growing, and green—even in winter?

If you Google “Why do green plants turn brown?” some top answers include a lack of water and nutrient deficiency. That has to be true spiritually, as well. You’ll notice Psalm 23 assures us the Good Shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures, not brown ones. But staying green spiritually--that's up to us.

David reveals the secret in Psalm 1:2. The evergreen believer delights “in the Law of the LORD, and on His Law he meditates day and night.”

The pay-off for that right kind of delighting? Verse 3 promises, “He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.”

We can’t prevent winter. But we can prevent withering. It begins with a choice to fill your day with moments of simple meditation on the Word of God.

Hope your day’s a green one!