We are well into March – nearing the end of the first quarter of this year already. According to the calendar, we are still in the winter season. I don’t do well with winter. Gray skies and cold weather make me feel sluggish and I just want to curl up with my blanket and a bowl of popcorn because carbs are the go-to when you feel sluggish, right? I crave the sunlight and honestly, I get a little cranky. Winter can feel like a season of darkness. Branches seem dead, the ground is cold, and life is buried underneath a blanket of white. Yet, even in the coldest, darkest times God is still at work. He is preparing the earth for a sudden vibrant bust of life.
Today held all the hints of Spring! All around me daffodils and crocuses decorated the hills and roadsides, snow white clouds floated across a brilliant blue sky and a gentle breeze whispered much needed refreshment. I turned my face to the sun and soaked in as much of that God given Vitamin D as I could!
Just like the daffodils bravely pushing through the frozen ground, our lives, too, experience seasons where we feel frozen or lifeless. But, the promise of spring is a direct reflection of God’s power to sustain and renew us. The transition from winter to spring mirrors our spiritual journey from a dormant state to rebirth, reminding us that God brings life out of death. Like the season’s change, our ‘spiritual winters” of trial or sorrow are not permanent, but necessary seasons for growth, preparation, and trusting God’s promise of renewal in due time.
For now the winter is past; the rain has ended and gone away. The blossoms appear in the countryside. The of singing has come, and the turtledoves cooing is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:11-12
When you feel stuck in a ‘winter’ of loss, loneliness, or spiritual drought, remember that God has not forgotten you. Just as the seasons change, He is making a ‘new thing’ spring up in your life. Trust in His timing. Remember that the cold hard ground is often the very place where roots dig deepest to find sustenance.
Dig in, reach for His hand to sustain you. Turn your face to the SON and soak in all that He has for you!
Lord, thank you for the seasons of life and the beauty of spring that reminds me of your power to renew. When I am in a season of winter. help me to trust that you are at work even when I cannot see it. Thank you for the promise of new life, growth, and the hope that comes with your resurrection.