There is a beauty in all seasons that only God can provide:
Spring, the promise of new life as all of the world awakens from a deep Winters sleep. And I can imagine all of the plants yawning and stretching as they feel the warmth from the sun calling them to reach upwards towards Heaven in greatful praise for God's promise of new life.
Summer brings the promise of warmth and the calmness that can be obtained from gardening, the sound of the waves lapping against the shores of our northern lakes or the call of the Loons during the night. There is something serene in watching the birds dancing in air, singing their songs of Praise for God. There is no better concert than that of the birds calling and singing in unison.
For me, Fall shows the Lord's artistic hand that brings the promise of the beauty that is Gods love as all the colors blend together to make a quilt covering the land. To see the Autumn colors reflecting from the trees onto a calm lake or coming upon a group of trees in their bright, jeweled glory of gold, orange and red just takes your breath away. Fall also brings a promise of bounty from harvest after a long summers work preparing us for that long Winters sleep. The anticipation for the first snowflakes begins in late Fall as the temperatures start to drop and Indian summer has passed.
Winter brings a peace and beauty that is like no other on earth. There is nothing so calming as to stand outside on a Winters night and just listen to the gentle whisper of the snowflakes falling through the trees. To hear the peaceful sound of the world asleep under the thick blanket of snow. It is always amazing to me that God created every single snowflake and each one is different. No two are alike, just as we are each different and isn't that glorious? I am simply amazed to look closely at each intricate and delicate design that is a snowflake. And yes, I may complain about the shoveling but it's all in good fun. There is just something about the world blanketed in snow that fills my heart with a gentle peace which is God's amazing love.
So now I sit and wait in anticipation for the first snowflakes to begin falling. But as I contemplate the arrival of Winter, I remember Gods words in Ecclesiastes 3:
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
As we go through through life's trials and tribulations, just as each Season has it's own beauty in nature, so do our 'seasons' have beauty, even when it doesn't look so pretty. We are given these 'seasons' as opportunities to grow into the person that God has created us to be and through these 'seasons', God is there lovingly guiding our steps, laughing with us, crying with us, feeling our joy, feeling our pain, in some instances, waiting for us to stop rebelling against Him. Through it all, God is always there gently smiling at us as only He can.
So we must remember, that each Season has in itself a beauty that only God can create and this beauty is a smile from Him to us. A reminder of how much we are truly loved.
