I came across this piece in the memories timeline I had written and posted to social media over six years ago.  It was written during a time I was attempting to traverse the loss of several precious people in my tribe.  Loneliness, grief, and a loss of joy had taken root in my being.  I felt as at times as if the blah of the season would never end.  Fast forward to today and I can say with certainty it will.  God is good and He breaths life into the most defeated hearts and brings light to the darkest places.  My hope in sharing here is that you too will begin to look for signs of spring.  Of hope, of life in your winter season.

Yesterday I drove to Duncan to pick up donations for the 8th grade PTO basket.  I enjoyed the drive over seeing new country I had not seen in a while.  I did not have to drive there as the owners of the B&B offered to mail the certificate to me but I wanted to meet them personally and thank them for their generosity shown.  As I was looking out over the landscape blurring by my car window I was taken aback by the freshness springing up everywhere.  Life!  Strips of green suddenly showing in the meadows, trees budding, flowers making their way through the recently thawed soil; where once there were only shades of brown and gray the appearance of color began to bleed through.  Oh how I love spring despite the winter before!

I was reminded by our Heavenly father that winter only lasts a short time.  It is “but for a season”.  I know when we are slogging through the valley of winter it can seem impossibly long.  Night falls quickly and seems to last an eternity.  Everything viewed is through a filter of browns and grays.  The outlook for a thaw is bleak as one looks around for signs of life and finds only quiet.  Days turn to nights, weeks stretch to months and there looks as if there is no reprieve from the bitter cold, the howling wind, and the stillness of the soul.

Whether the winter is one of your making given birth from poor choices, uncorrected attitudes or straight up rebellion or whether it is born out of circumstances totally beyond your control there is hope.  Singer/songwriter Natalie Grant in her album Relentless puts it like this…

Bitterness has plagued my heart

Many times before

My life has been like broken glass

And I have kept the score

Of all my shattered dreams

And though it seems

That I was far too gone

My brokenness helped me to see

It’s grace I’m standing on

I will stumble, I will fall down

But I will not be moved

I will make mistakes

I will face heartache

But I will not be moved

On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

I will not be moved

Standing on the faith of God’s truth found in His word and believing in the grace given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can get us through dark times.  So take heart my friends.  There is a spring ahead for each of us just past this valley.

Jesus gives us a great example of how to make it through the valley of winter into spring.  It says in his word that if we fix our eyes on Him and stay the course we will be able to make it through whatever is before us.  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scoring its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

He didn’t promise that we would never have winter; Jesus slogged through his own worse winter.  However, he did promise He would be there and that we can make it through just as He did if we keep our eyes on Him and the end result; Eternal Spring!

Copyright © 2019 Melanie McKinley. All Rights Reserved.