Neverending winter
Winter feels never ending. Am I right?! Every year it it enters with trickery, dressed in colorful Christmas spirit and New Years cheer, but the joy and excitement comes and goes and then suddenly we’re left with the empty chill of an abandoned playground.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Christmastime. Most years I purposely don’t take my decorations down until nearly February! But once I’m through the holidays and get over the excitement of winter’s first snow, I realize we have a loooooong way to go until I enjoy the warm breeze and birds chirping through my open windows.
Recently I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the wonderful Godly people in my life and praising God for blessing me with their friendship. In that moment, he reminded me what it took to get me to this place... years in a terribly unhealthy relationship, losing my dad at a young age, financial stress, insecurity and low self esteem, career uncertainty and more relational stress... all of it was perfectly choreographed to bring me where I am today. And even though I would often experience moments of deep regret over my inability to alter some of those circumstances, I now feel gratitude for each of those terrible experiences because I found Him in it. I now recognize it was God at work.
Have you ever gone through a winter season in your life? Where it feels cold, barren, hopeless and seems to have no end in sight? I want to encourage you to look for God in those seasons. Even though it probably doesn’t feel like it, He is there. He is at work, weaving the perfect circumstance to bring you closer to the path he has envisioned for you.
Life certainly isn’t without it’s troubles and, although my faith has grown exponentially in the last few years, I still find myself in the midst of conflict. C.S. Lewis put it perfectly, “Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but PEACE within difficulties.” Yes, even in this very moment, I find myself experiencing difficulty, and it’s not fun, but I do have peace in knowing that at the end of the day He is ultimately the one in control. So I am reminded, yet again, to look to Him and lay whatever it is at his feet.
Just like the gift of that random warm sun-shiny day in the middle of February, Jesus will fill our spirits with fresh air and our hearts with pure joy.
And with that said, thank GOODNESS it’s officially March! You’ll find me praying for more sunshine while playing “House of Miracles” by Brandon Lake on repeat this week…
“I still believe You’re moving.
I still believe You’re speaking.
God, I believe You’re working all things for good.
So I fix my eyes on Heaven.
God, I receive Your vision.
God, I believe You’re working all things for good.”
