Season Shifts
As the end of winter approaches, we again feel the pull of the future, but the zone between seasons can be hard to predict. Spring is tantalizing us with more sunshine and the promise of blooming flowers, but winter is still hanging around. For instance, during the month of February in southwest Texas, we had a hard freeze and 80-plus-degree temperatures in the same ten-day period. We used the furnace at night and the AC in the daytime. As I write this today, it’s 84 degrees, but in a few days it could be 45 again. So do I plant flowers or not?
Seasons shift in the kingdom of God, just as they do in nature. Here are a few thoughts about these shifts:
If God is removing things from your life, He is preparing space in you for fresh growth. In winter, things die that are not supposed to live. Leaves fall off trees and some flowers die. In January, I always trim the dead branches off of my crêpe myrtle trees. They are bare and leafless and look horrible, but in springtime, a profusion of buds shows me that vibrant life is still in the trees. When summer arrives, they are taller than the year before and look lush and full. When you are in between seasons, learn to be content. Thankfulness will protect you from being disappointed.
I can sometimes be like the younger version of myself on a car trip asking, “Are we there yet?” No matter how far we had traveled, it always seemed like we had a lot farther to go. We can ask God the same thing. “When am I going to get ‘there’ (wherever ‘there’ is)? I’m ready for more. I’m ready to go to the next level. I’m ready to walk in greater authority.” But are you really ready? Remember new levels always bring new devils.
Maybe I should remind myself what my parents taught us about enjoying the trip and not worrying about how long it was taking. One year when I was a boy of twelve or thirteen, we drove from our home in Wisconsin to Florida. It took us two days. Mom brought along a book for us to read out loud. We all took turns reading aloud as we traveled, but Mom read the most. I couldn’t wait to experience the next part of the story as the five of us went down the road. Discussions followed, and we grew much closer as a family. It turned out to be one of my favorite trips, as I learned to lean into the trip as much as the destination.
So, my friends, take what God gives you and trust the process. The journey has its own grace to give you as you step into a new season. As the Scripture says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, NIV).