Even the Winter Won't Last Forever

Sunday Scripture

and a

Song

It seems as if the winter is endless this year. Spring is so very slow to arrive here in the upper Midwest. My crocuses -- that's a picture of them above, on one of our rare sunny days -- are one of the few signs of new life I've seen. It can be hard to feel hopeful when the rains keep coming and the cold winds continue to blow.

Have you ever been in a winter of your life; a time when new life or growth feels so far from the depths of sorrow or darkness that you are living? These are times when hope is so hard to find. 

But nothing stays the same forever. Everything always changes. We see this clearly in Nature, whose cycle of life continues and repeats season after season. Though this season seems endless, we know from experience that soon it will change and new life will begin.

We can count on that -- bank on it. Change is coming, and if we watch for signs of its progress, we will see them. Even the smallest new growth will give us hope that tomorrow may be different. 

God provides -- Everything we need. When hope seems futile, rest in the truth that God is with you and you are not walking this path alone. Believe in the possibilities for change that exist in every circumstance. And put your Hope in the One that never falters or disappoints. 

You can believe in the promise that spring will come, and the sun will shine on your face again. Rest in the assurance that change is a constant in our lives. It is a promise that new life and hope will again brighten your outlook. A surely as the seasons change.

You make springs pour water into the ravines,

    so streams gush down from the mountains.

 They provide water for all the animals,

    and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

 The birds nest beside the streams

    and sing among the branches of the trees.

 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,

    and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.

 You cause grass to grow for the livestock

and plants for people to use.

You allow them to produce food from the earth --

Psalm 104:10-14 (NLT)

Today I'm sharing Audrey Assad's song "Even the Winter"

A song of hope and persistence 

And belief that change will come

Subscribers please click on Hope to find to view this video on my blog.

Mobile users can click here to link to watch on youtube.

Thanks!

Seasons of Change

Autumn leaves fall like rain outside my window. Fierce winds strip the trees of their Autumn splendor, carpeting the lawn in rich colors of the season.  The colorful canopies are stripped bare, leaving naked branches reaching to the sky. Why must the seasons pass so quickly?

The little boys who once played in the leaves are now young men finding their way in the world. Special family members who guided our lives for decades now whisper to us from Heaven.

All is as it should be, and yet, a lingering sadness can consume me if I allow it. But I know wishing for times gone by is a futile waste of my thoughts and energy. I cherish my memories, and treasure all the wonderful joys a lifetime brings.

It helps to keep myself in this moment, enjoying the dance of the leaves as they are freed from their summer perch. I will go out and crunch through the fallen piles of summer’s glory, now crisp and crackly and heaped ankle deep in the woods.

Every season has its beauty, and each moment of life is meant to be savored. If we are to live and love and grow as we amble along life’s path, we must pause to let the beauty of living soak deeply into our lives.

So rushed are we that we miss the artistry of the ever changing sky. Sunrises and sunsets mark only the length of days when we rush by them. 

But if we linger, and soak up the colors and the promise of a glorious sunrise; or pause to watch the sun slowly sink into a breath-taking sunset, our spirit is blessed.

Life is meant to be savored. Beauty, and love; friendship, and reaching out to those in need, these are the food for our soul. We must nurture who we are from the inside out. And this includes enriching our lives with these soul-satisfying moments. They are just as important as nourishing food is for energizing our physical bodies.

Energizing our spirit, knowing true peace, pausing to breathe and being thankful for the gifts of beauty, love, and life itself, brings our focus into the moment. The world around is ever-changing. What remains as our constant is our connection to self.

Mindfulness and living in the moment help us to slow the pace, just a little, allowing  time to savor the delicate beauty that is life. We must be purposeful in searching out those moments that rest our thoughts, and calm our spirit.

Perhaps by adapting our lifestyles to mindfulness, we can slow the pace just a little bit, and capture the beauty of the seasons of our lives before they too quickly pass by.

If we offer a thankful heart when beauty touches our lives, we can, for that moment, slow down the passage of time.

Savor the moment, and capture the feeling. The peace will stay with you long after the moment has passed. And nestled deep in your spirit, it will help to heal the rush of life passing by too quickly, like the dizzying swirl of falling leaves.