My favorite season throughout the year is fall. The days are still warm, but the nights and morning become crisp with a chill in the air. It makes me reach for my favorite sweater and jeans, and go for a hike to view the colors on the horizon as the leaves begin to change and slowly float to the ground.
Our faith equally has seasons in our life.
There are periods of renewal like the spring, helping us to create new beginnings in our relationships and life. Then, there’s the summer where everything is alive and well; there is a lot of laughter and everything is in full swing. Next arrives fall, which is calming to me. It is a period of rest, without chaos. It is a moment that we can sit back and take in all of God’s wonder in our hearts. Finally, the winter gets very quiet, and sometimes lonely. Everything in your life can feel distant, sort of like a desolation from God.
Looking back on my life, I can see the times that I was in each of these seasons.
I will admit that during the past few years I have spent a lot of time in summer, having a great time with my family and friends and enjoying the adventures of life. So, when I feel the winters start to creep in my heart, part of me is anxious because a transformation is approaching – I know God is inviting me to grow closer to him. Life isn’t supposed to be easy, yet, when it’s not, we feel like God has abandoned us. Instead we should be mindfully reflecting on the invitation he might be calling us into.
I remember last year when I started to feel winter.
When I prayed, I discovered that God wanted me to receive healing and consolation from my childhood, specifically the lack of relationship I had with my sisters and father. I had so much pain buried in the depths of my soul for years. I didn’t want to think about the past, but I trusted him. And with that hope and faith, he delivered a spring so I could rekindle what was lost. God is so good!
So the next time you’re curious about the movement of God in your life, consider the season of your faith, and know that he has a plan.
