Changing of the Seasons

How awesome is it that the changing of the seasons so closely parallel the stages of a Christian's relationship with God himself? I've heard sermons on it before, and each winter I'm reminded of the white, glittering snow that washes away the "junk" from the year before, bringing with it a fresh, new perspective for the year ahead. Spring comes, rebirth occurs as flowers blossom and trees begin to bud. Summer is carefree and happy, lending itself to new, warm memories, followed by fall in which things begin to die, mimicking perhaps the lulls of life, the difficult days, or even the marking of something better to come.

A Peruvian friend of mine is experiencing the true changing of the four seasons in London this year. He's there to study in seminary. He recently emailed me with a lovely description of his new understanding of this parallel between the seasons and life. This is how he described them in his most recent email to me (translated from Spanish).

"The winter is ending in London; every day is less cold than the one before and spring is drawing near. Literally, I have not seen the sun for many months. It comes up at 8 a.m. and by 3 p.m. it is dark again. It is beautiful to see how the leaves are born again on the trees that for many months have been bare, seeming dead from the cold. The seasons in England are more obvious than those in Peru, and it often causes me to think of the cycles of life. There are times of 'winter' in which we feel frozen with each day colder than the one before until we become numb by it. Even though sometimes those 'cold' days seem long, thanks be to God, that he always brings times of 'spring' afterwards. A season which brings a little warmth to the soul. It is said that the harsher the winter, the more refreshing is the summer that follows. Only God knows those days in which you feel the dead, numbing cold of 'winter' but don't lose heart, press on and continue in the ways of the Lord for something better is always to come in the future."

Daniel, you are a beautiful writer. Thank you for sharing your observations of the seasons with me at a time when I needed a refreshing word, a reminder that the best is indeed yet to come. 

I'm so grateful for the changing of the four seasons that I have been able to experience almost every year of my life here in Northern Indiana (minus the fall of 2009 which I missed due to living in Peru). It is such a great reminder of the sacrifice of Christ, His death on the cross (winter) and resurrection from the grave (summer). 

As Easter Sunday approaches, I am so grateful that I serve a living God. A God who is full of grace and mercy. A God who forgives and lavishes upon us His unconditional love.