FROM THE DAWGHOUSE…
Come Before Winter
Every fall, as a young lad, my pastor delivered a sermon called “Come Before Winter”, based on Paul’s final letter to Timothy. From a cold prison cell in Rome, awaiting execution, Paul wrote: “Do your best to come to me soon… Do your best to come before winter.” (2 Timothy 4:9, 21)
Why before winter?
The urgency was that when winter arrived, ships stopped sailing. If Timothy delayed, it would be spring before he could travel. And Paul knew he wouldn’t live that long. Similarly, those three words – come before winter – deliver an urgency to all believers today.
Paul wanted his cloak, his books, and his parchments. But more than anything, he wanted his friend. He needed Timothy’s presence while he still had breath.
We all have people like that. The friend we’ve been meaning to call. The family members we’ve put off reconciling with. The mentor we’ve never thanked. But life gets busy, and we quietly tell ourselves, “Someday.”
The problem is that winter always comes.
Sometimes it’s a sudden phone call with news we never expected. Sometimes it’s a heart that has grown too cold to mend. Sometimes it’s simply the passing of time until the opportunity is gone.
All throughout Scripture, God presses the urgency of now.
- “Now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
- “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15)
The Spirit never says, “Wait until tomorrow.” Yet we do. We push off forgiving, apologizing, encouraging, even trusting Christ, believing there will always be another chance. But the heart has seasons too. What feels tender today may be hardened by tomorrow. Winter can set in before we realize it.
When Paul was beaten and left for dead in Lystra, Acts says, “the disciples gathered about him, and he rose up.” (Acts 14:20) That’s what the church is meant to do. Gather around, lift each other up, carry one another when life has knocked us down. But that only happens if we show up. Not later. Not eventually. But before winter.
So, here’s the question: who is God bringing to mind for you right now?
- Someone you need to call today, rather than tomorrow?
- Someone to forgive, or ask forgiveness from, today?
- Someone who needs to hear your gratitude, encouragement, or love, today?
And more than anything, have you responded to Christ Himself? His invitation is never “later.” It is always today.
Paul’s words are simple but haunting: “Do your best to come before winter.”
Don’t wait for the perfect time. Don’t assume there will always be another chance. The season changes quickly, and some ships never sail again. So, make the call. Offer the grace. Take the step of faith.
Do it today. Do it before winter.
Lord, give me courage not to wait until tomorrow. Show me the person I need to reach out to, the forgiveness I need to extend, the step of faith I need to take. Keep my heart tender to Your voice today and help me to respond before the season passes. Amen.
Joe Bouch
