I’ve lived here almost 25 years and don’t remember the temps ever dropping below zero. Ever. Ten minutes ago I sat down with a cup of hot coffee and now – even it is cold. I hear the trickle of water around my house as every faucet drips. An old raised house is so vulnerable to freezing pipes. The cold is so intense, even the sun won’t break its hold on us. Today, the cold partnered with the wind – it wins. Our only option is to hunker down and wait it out.
I love that God created seasons. Seasons of nature and of life.
I have never been more aware of the seasons in my life than in the past ten years.
The seasons when the long dark of night felt like it would never end and the short days of light felt like they would never come. All I ever had was brief periods of respite from the darkness. But my gratitude lies in what I learned there, both in and out.
I met God in new ways there in the darkness. Grasping at the frazzled straws of all the world offers and meeting continued failure, I found the bible laying right where I had left it. There I learned how much He loves me. I learned how I can move from the darkness into the light. God gave me the tools I need to move from one season of life to another. The change of season begins when I turn to Him, rejecting the world and the trinkets it offers to ease the pain.
I read a devotional this morning about the metaphoric language we use when we talk about God. It was good. I struggle when I talk about what God has done for me. How can I tell you what it feels like when I sense His presence? When a peace fills my heart suddenly and a giant exhale passes from my lungs. Moving from panic clouding my view of my world to clarity as I begin to see my life differently. I have never experienced a love like His.
Believing the bible is God’s word and studying it to get to know Him is the first step. Invest in relationship building by spending time with Him. The stories bring the pieces of history and God’s presence from creation to today alive. Alive in me and around me.
Trust.
Such a powerful five letter word. It is one of the pillars of life. Without it, nothing will be stable. Part of us will always be off balance.
I have faced incredible challenges in my life. I know there are more to come. However, it is what I have learned in those dark places that have led me to trust the process of trust again. I began to trust God and His promises there in that darkness.
If you are familiar with these challenges in your own life – don’t give up. If you have been trying and trying the same old solutions and still find yourself stuck, consider trying God.
God is interesting. He created us. Gifted us with free will. Yet, He waits for us. He desires relationship with us and He loves us. Learning to trust Him is the beginning of change in whatever season of life we find ourselves in. When we struggle so hard with hopelessness and helplessness in the darkness and the cold, He is there.
Look at these passages from the bible –
Isaiah 30:18 NIrV
But the Lord longs to show you his favor,
He wants to give you his tender love.
The Lord is a God who is always fair.
Blessed are all those who wait for him to act!
This is another truth I depend on in Romans 5:2-5 in the Message
By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
These are a few of the ways God has met me in my dark seasons. These are a few of the reasons I have learned to trust Him and begin a new journey.
Join me on a journey of discovery. If your life is not in the best season or if you feel stuck in a season, just know it doesn’t have to be permanent.
My life journey from here on out is dedicated to knowing Jesus in deeper relationship and sharing His love. My struggles have brought me to the place where I can’t be quiet about this love.
Thank you for listening.
May your day be filled with seeking God,
Janet