It was a super windy day. My husband and I were talking in his office when we both noticed that it literally looked like it was raining leaves. The wind was fierce and the trees were ready to drop their leaves. The perfect scenario. I mentioned to Scott how incredible it is how life cycles; how the wind was necessary to help the trees drop their leaves for the impending winter.
Seasons. They amaze me.
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
After our conversation in the office, I went on my walk. I love my weekly walks. They clear my head and reunite me with nature. This time I noticed the trees. Most had dropped their leaves leaving their stark branches behind. As I walked I thought about winter. Winter is coming. Whether I am ready or not, winter is creeping up on me. All the branches will soon be bare. Days will grow shorter. My weekly walks will slow down because of the impending cold.
Winter is coming.
Whether we like it or not, we will all face winter sometime in our lives. We will be stripped bare of all our comforts and be called to forge ahead through some daunting times. Our bones will rattle in the severe cold. We will long for the comforts of our coverings. Our days will feel like they are filled with darkness more than light. Days will feel long and our souls may become weary. Winter is coming.
Don’t lose hope. There is a reason for the shedding. There is purpose to the darkness. Without winter, we wouldn’t have spring. Soon, new life will spring forth on those bare branches just as new life will spring forth out of you. Without the stripping, there would be no new growth. The best part about winter is the forthcoming of spring. The vibrant colors that seem to pop up overnight take your breath away. The warmth of the sun feels glorious on the skin. The comforts slowly creep back in bringing a renewed life to the earth. The same is true for you and me. New life springs to the surface after a hard winter.
Winter is coming. For you. For me. We cannot escape it. But, just as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, there is a reason and a season for everything. Winter is coming because winter is necessary. Sometimes we need to be stripped bare in order for new life and new goodness to arise.
Yes, winter is coming. But, winter is good. Without winter, we wouldn’t have the goodness of spring. The warmth. The longer days. The vibrant colors. The new life. It is time we change our view of winter from stark to promising. Winter ushers in hope: hope of a new season, new growth, and new life.
Winter is coming.
And it is good.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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