"There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven..."
--Ecclesiastes 3:1(AMP)
It's been really cold here in New Jersey; over the weekend, we were in the grips of the dreaded "Polar Vortex". Record low temperatures, unseasonable for this time of year (per meteorologists' reports), were downright bone-chilling! Dark over cast skies, howling winds, and ground so frozen it feels like you are walking on concrete, prompts one to wonder, "When is spring coming?"
Is this you today? Are you experiencing a winter season emotionally? I have good news for you! Winter does not last forever. Spring is coming--although it may seem like nothing is growing, nothing is thriving, there is no progress, or there is no hope. Even in the winter, things are happening. There is movement, and there are indicators in nature that suggest the season is about to change. Take for example, the crocus flower. This beautiful, seemingly delicate flower erupts from cold, hardened winter soil because its flowers and leaves are protected from cold, snow, and frost by a waxy cuticle. Even when snow is on the ground, it is not unusual to see a flowering crocus.
Something good is happening in a realm we cannot see. God, in his infinite love and wisdom, protects our hearts and enables us to survive and thrive through hard times and harsh conditions.
If you are feeling like you are in an emotional "Polar Vortex", may I encourage you to continue to trust in the seasons and timing of God? So often we just want to get through distress, challenges, and adversity. But every season is purposeful--even the winters. What can you take from your winter season as you transition to a new season? Perhaps a life lesson, a nugget of wisdom, greater faith, and a deeper, or closer relationship with the God who knows what you need to get through your winter seasons--just as he cares for the crocus.
When we trust God during, and through, our winter seasons, we do not have to walk in bitterness, hopelessness, fear, depression, or offense. We can emerge with the strength, grace, and beauty of the crocus. This is what others will see, which in turn will afford us the opportunity to share our winter story, encourage, and instill hope.
Is this you today? Are you experiencing a winter season emotionally? I have good news for you! Winter does not last forever. Spring is coming--although it may seem like nothing is growing, nothing is thriving, there is no progress, or there is no hope. Even in the winter, things are happening. There is movement, and there are indicators in nature that suggest the season is about to change. Take for example, the crocus flower. This beautiful, seemingly delicate flower erupts from cold, hardened winter soil because its flowers and leaves are protected from cold, snow, and frost by a waxy cuticle. Even when snow is on the ground, it is not unusual to see a flowering crocus.
Something good is happening in a realm we cannot see. God, in his infinite love and wisdom, protects our hearts and enables us to survive and thrive through hard times and harsh conditions.
If you are feeling like you are in an emotional "Polar Vortex", may I encourage you to continue to trust in the seasons and timing of God? So often we just want to get through distress, challenges, and adversity. But every season is purposeful--even the winters. What can you take from your winter season as you transition to a new season? Perhaps a life lesson, a nugget of wisdom, greater faith, and a deeper, or closer relationship with the God who knows what you need to get through your winter seasons--just as he cares for the crocus.
When we trust God during, and through, our winter seasons, we do not have to walk in bitterness, hopelessness, fear, depression, or offense. We can emerge with the strength, grace, and beauty of the crocus. This is what others will see, which in turn will afford us the opportunity to share our winter story, encourage, and instill hope.
Sharing your story can help someone else.
