Spring Follows Winter

“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~

Winter here in the Midwest has overstayed its welcome.  Temperatures well below 0 and snow, snow, snow.  Spirits are sagging.  Will spring ever come?

 

I anticipate the sighting of a robin like an eager child hankering to open a long-awaited gift.  Can I open it NOW?

I yearn for the promising new growth that reminds me that something can look dead and barren, but it's not.  Below the surface, their roots are reaching down to a more solid footing, preparing strength for the spring and summer storms.

Spring and all the new life it brings is appreciated more after winter, especially when the winters have devastated our lives.

How about the seasons in our lives?  Would we be truly grateful for prosperity in our hearts and lives if we never knew what adversity is?  I know I wouldn't.

Yes, I do grumble about this long winter in nature.  Yes, I do grumble about all the winters in my life when there didn't seem to be any sign of life left.  Where are You, God? 

The winters in our lives can be brutal and debilitating, but they are necessary to deepen and strengthen our roots in Christ Jesus.  Through Him, spring and revival will come, all the more refreshing and renewing after a barren winter.  That's a promise.  God's plans for us are for good, not for evil.  The clouds may cover the sun, but the sun is still there.  We may not always "feel" God is with us, but He is.  Faithful and true, He will never, never, never leave us or forsake us.

What is your favorite season?  Why?