I have been gazing out my window these past few weeks, and it keeps occurring to me the correlation between the seasons in nature and the seasons of our lives.
Mainly I have been meditating on Spring since we are in that season currently. My family and I moved into the house we now live in in the first week of February, after a hard season of co-living, then moving in with my dad for a little over a month. When we moved into this house, there was this tree across the street from us that, in my opinion, was an ugly eyesore, and I said to myself, 'They really should chop that thing down.' It just looked like it had lived its life and needed to be bundled up for the fire.
About a week ago, I looked out my window and in shock, saw that the dead, ugly tree was now alive with a plenteous crowning of green leaves that were softly blowing in the breeze. I mean...more leaves than many trees have. It has spoken to my soul so much! It goes hand in hand with the dry bones of Ezekiel, being breathed on by the very life of God, and coming together in wholeness once again. It is astonishing how if we prune back a rose bush until it is mere stubs, it flourishes even greater the next year with fragrant blooms. Or grape vines, cutting them down to nubs and then a few years later having the greatest harvest of juicy grapes you've ever seen. It seems to be true then that: Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed, but if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24. The seeming death of things often brings abundant life.
One of my most favorite parts in scripture is Song of songs 2:10-13. It was read at my wedding, and has been prophetic in my life. It says,"Arise my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See? The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."
What a poetic and lovely expression of love.
My life has been a series of up's and down's, as many of your lives have been and continue to be. I am no longer in denial that that is unfair or not how it is supposed to be. I am riding it out, like a whale in the waves. Sometimes the water is smooth and I am at peace, total tranquility. The water is clear and all makes sense. Other times I am caught up in the throes of a mighty storm that appears to have no end. And I freak out, and I weep, and I am at a loss, at wit's end. But as it is said, 'Morning brings word of Your unfailing love.' His mercies truly are new every morning. I am in awe at the comparison of life's crooked, unexpected turns in the road to the seasons, summer, where all is warm and soft and bathed in light, to fall where leaves come to the ground in mounds of color, then die and the chill of winter where all seems barren and harsh, then spring with new life, fresh hope, sharp colors blooming on full, green leaves; a cycle that continues faithfully. Sunrise, sunset.
I believe where things have seemed long dead or lain dormant for years, re-birth is coming. It is just around the corner, and will shock us just as the millions of green leaves springing out on the dead, ugly tree pleasantly surprised me. One morning, spring will have sprung, and butterflies will float by on the soft warm breeze, kissing flowers with their wings, baby birds will hatch and test their wings on the heights. The scent of roses will refresh us and we will be invigorated and renewed like the world seems to be in those moments. It will be, because it must. Just like winter must, or fall. Like night that comes and with it the glittering stars. And morning with dew that is pooled on the stalks of grass. We need only embrace the seasons of life just as we acclimate to the seasons in nature, donning a coat when it's chilly or a hat when the sun is hot. Sadness is inevitable in this life, if we knew only joy we would be stunted in shallow waters, because sorrow digs a cistern of deeper, bluer waters than ease in the caverns of our hearts. Also, happiness is inevitable, if we allow it to find us. Let us not become hardened as to not have eyes to see the things meant to deliver us joy and goodwill. So many aspects of nature are able to give us contentment. The singing of birds and chattering, the thousands of different shades of color in the flowers, fauna and flora. The soft swirling inner chambers of seashells, gently lapping waves. I could go on and on. I simply want to have new eyes today to SEE the goodness of the Lord in this land of the living. And to show it to my children. That is all.
