Seasons and Changes

Today,
as I look outside
at the "winter wonderland",
as snowflakes continue to fall,
and I know the roads are covered 
and people are stranded
and it is unusually cold,
I keep repeating-

Spring will come

Spring will come

Spring will come!

There is beauty in each season.
There is wonder in the changes each brings.
There is purpose, value, ups and downs in each season.
Most people have a favorite season, mine is fall/autumn.

Winter
can look like death
with plants and animals  
in hibernation.
It is a time of rest.




Spring
can be manic
with warm sunny days
mingled with remnants of winter.
It is a time of awakening.




Summer 
can be blistering
with the sun beating down
and close, humid, windless days.
It is a time of growth.


Autumn
can be refreshing
with warm days, cool nights
and tree leaves changing colors.
It is a time of harvest.



Life, like the seasons, changes and has both beauty and hardship.

It can look like death,
when things are dark,
when our world feels frozen
when the work of God in our lives is hidden.

It can be manic,
when things are calm 
when situations are bright and pleasant,
and out of nowhere we are hit with chaos.

It can be blistering,
when times are oppressive 
when pain, disappointment, confusion burns our soul,
and we cannot see an end to the ugly, uncomfortable, undesirable.

It can be refreshing,
when we are at peace, regardless of our circumstances,
when we ask God to open our eyes to see the beauty that surrounds us,
when we live by faith, trust and hope, not by sight and what we can "prove". 

Regardless of the season we are in,
I am convinced that 
we need to take time to rest,
we need God's awakening of our souls,
we need to allow growth which includes pruning and shaping,
we need to remember, when the time is right, there will be a harvest.