January 16 – Winter Whitetails

White-tailed deer are among God’s most beautiful creatures and thrive abundantly in the Northland. This doe and yearling were quietly browsing fresh alder along Skyline Drive in Duluth on a mid-January afternoon.

Deer exhibit remarkable resilience in winter. Their dense cold-season coat consists of hollow hairs that trap air for insulation—so effective that snow can rest on their backs without melting, clearly demonstrating how little body heat escapes even in extreme cold.

Scenes like this unfold everywhere across the Northland in January. Whether it’s whitetails in the woods, sea smoke on Lake Superior, or ice forming along the shoreline, winter offers countless opportunities to slow down and notice the beauty of the season.

“God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” — Habakkuk 3:19

If God so carefully equips the deer to endure deep winter, how much more will He provide for us—strength for today, shelter from the cold, and the people we meet along the way. Even in winter, we have much to be thankful for.