We read a portion of scripture in church yesterday. Part of it struck me in a new way. Just like seasons in the weather, we have seasons in our lives. We’ve all heard that before, right? Yet somehow I still seem to think I am supposed to do everything all at once and do it well. It is no accident that God gave us nature to observe, and seasons in the weather to experience, as a visual reminder of how his creation is supposed to function.
Look at what He says to us in Psalm 1:1-3…
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
Does a tree yield fruit 365 days a year? No! It only yields fruit in its season. As I read those words, it all clicked. I don’t have to do everything ALL the time. In fact, God doesn’t even expect that of me. He calls me to certain things in certain seasons of my life. He even calls me to rest. I have such a hard time letting the rest happen in my life. I am in a season where there seems there are never enough hours in the day. Homeschooling the first year of high school, a middle schooler, and an often-neglected 10 year old is more than a full-time job at times. But that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of all the other responsibilities in my life. Believe me when I say, “I understand busy!” But downtime is not a luxury. It is not something that happens with the “leftover” time. It is something that is necessary. We need it. God designed it that way. It is there that we take the time to let God nourish, feed and revive our soul. If we neglect this time, and try to fill every segment of our lives with something to do, we are actually accomplishing less. Here’s why…
There are plenty of factors that affect fruit bearing on a tree, but one that is necessary is a cold winter.
“Most hardy fruit trees need a certain amount of cold winter weather to end their dormancy and to promote spring growth.
When winters are too mild, spring growth is delayed, irregular and slow.” –Edmond L. Marrotte
I love that last part, “When winters are too mild, spring growth is delayed, irregular and slow.” If we don’t see the “winters” in our lives as important and necessary, our “spring” will be stunted. Do you feel like you’ve been stuck in an exceptionally long winter with no end in sight?
God sees you. He hears you. He loves you. He knows what you need more than you do.
Trust Him that this “winter” season is what you need right now. Your “spring” is coming. You can’t force it. It comes in its own time, its own season.
Does this resonate with you like it does me? What is the hardest thing about your “winter”? I would love to hear from you. If you received this in an email, click through to my blog page and comment. Tell us about how God is working in your winter or how your spring is starting to bloom.
Oh! And while you are there click to my home page and check out the new look for my blog site. I love it! And last, but not least I have started a Facebook Page where we can talk about our daily struggles and victories. Please come, like the page, and join us!