Winter Warbling

This was the morning to end an old chapter and to begin a new one. This was the morning to remember the wisdom gained from the past, to forget the foolishness, and to move forward. Yes, this was a day like any other.

Cloud upon cloud hovered between the sun’s brightness and the earth that longed for its touch. Undaunted, the sun still rose, and the earth was encouraged and grew even hungrier for its warm caress.

On this rainy, unseasonably balmy day of January, I determined to step outdoors into the misty morning. Not allowing the dampness to deter me, I donned my new cap (a gift from my love), harnessed up my sidekick, Joy, and set out into the dawning of the day. Her excitement was undeniable. Her ears were perky, her tail was held high, and she danced in anticipation of soaking her senses in the experience. My own senses were alerted, as well.

The familiar feel of Spring embraced us, as I dodged rivulets of running water, and my carefree companion splashed right through them. Birds sang out to each other from the tip-tops of trees that should be seasonably barren, yet were already beginning to bud. The aroma of rain heralded a change of seasons.

But it is not Spring.

We have learned so much about seasons. We know that they are inevitable. We know the signs that accompany their changing. We know that God Himself created them with purpose, and though some seasons might be uncomfortable for us, we have been lovingly taught that His greater good will come out of them if we allow ourselves to believe it and receive it. This was a life-changing revelation to most of us, and it continues to encourage us through tough times.

Within all this wisdom, have we lost sight of the most basic nugget of knowledge? Yes, it is predictable that Spring follows Winter, Winter follows Fall and sultry Summer days follow the glorious uncertain atmospheres of Spring. Yes, even our own bodies pass through seasons of predictable change, as well. We have studiously learned about the seasons of sowing, reaping, and harvest…But where did we lose track of the fact that God, the creator of the seasons, is the Author of change? Yes, the song has a melody, a verse and a chorus, but it is the Music Maker who creates them all, and who brings them beautifully together in, sometimes, unpredictable ways.

He has blessed us with foreknowledge of the seasons, but let us never err by attempting to govern the graces of each one.

Like the tumultuous weather of Springtime, youthful seasons can be identified by traumatic highs and lows…Yet God has peace for the young.

Like the steady fall of temperatures and dropping of leaves in Fall and Winter, we shed the anxieties of youth as wisdom of years increases…Yet God continues to stir our passions through greater knowledge of His love.

I am almost 50 years old, but God has blessed me with a love that has brought me back to the Springtime of my life.

Today, on this unseasonably warm Winter day, I am reminded and delighted that, although predictable by the characteristics of their creation, every season of our lives holds mysterious, miraculous, truly unpredictable beauty.

My prayer is that today, wherever you are, in whatever season you are, you look beyond what you know. Open your eyes to the intricacies of the unexpected. See the surprises that your Father has sprinkled throughout the certainty … unseasonal surprises just for you, because He loves you. Receive the oasis in the desert, the birdsong on the Winter day. Receive His adoration of you, and allow it to alter your perception of the predictable, henceforth.