Hooray! Spring is finally here after the snowiest winter we’ve had here in SE SD for years. The warmer temps melted the huge piles of snow on the sides of our street and in front of our living room window, expanding our view to more than the roof of our neighbor’s home across the street. The grass is greening, buds are appearing, and the birds are singing happy songs that lift a weary heart.
Winter is my least favorite season as I’m mostly housebound since the cold affects my breathing condition. I’ll admit I became especially winter weary this year. More people around here have commented what a looong winter it has been.
Hard seasons, whether in nature or in life, can seem longer than the seasons of joy, and it may become more difficult to seek out the beauty. But even winter has its beauty. The snow drifts are sculpted so beautifully. Who else but God can do that? The pure whiteness of snow coming down reminds us to pray, “Wash us, Lord. Make us whiter than the snow.” The trees look dead and barren, giving no indication of the life beneath the soil as the roots grow deeper and stronger to give greater endurance and health to the trees once the leaves appear again. So like when life’s trials strip our hearts bare and draw us to reach deeper into the True Vine, our only never-failing Source of Strength.
“How many lessons of faith
and beauty we should lose,
if there were no winter in our year!”
~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson
“If we had no winter,
the spring would not be so pleasant:
if we did not sometimes taste of adversity,
prosperity would not be so welcome.“
~ Anne Bradstreet
We may have different preferences for our favorite season. One season may be harder to deal with than others because of various reasons, both physical and emotional. But there is one constant in every season. No matter how downhearted we may feel, God has us in His hands.
“When I feel like my world has been broken
And nothing is going my way
It’s hard to see the goodness of God and
To trust enough to say come what may
But I search His Words and try to remember
What I know I’ve heard Him say
I’m in His strong, kind, and capable hands
Hands that know me and all that I need
He has promised He’d never let go
I’m in His hands…”
Nature Retreat
Arizona in Spring
🙂 Photos Courtesy of My Brother 🙂
What is your favorite season?
What do you love about it?
What season is the hardest for you?
Physically and/or emotionally?
Will you share why?
Freed to Fly 