It’s beauty can be breath-taking as it first blankets the ground with it’s shimmery, pearl white, scenery – like a welcomed wintry wonderland. But wait a few days, even just one and the stunning scenery quickly melts into a messy carpet of splashed mire, stained blemishes and shaded dark spots.
And then we forget. Forget that life endures beneath the frozen stiff terrain.
Because we’re longing for something vibrant, something that energizes, even a small splash of color would bring a bit of cheer to the wintry cold season.
We yearn for something tangible, for a trace of hope that life still exists.
And so we search for evidence of growth, for proof of progress somewhere in between all the faded empty space.
Because if we stare long enough at the wintery landscape, it’s all too easy for the backdrop of our own lives to get clouded and our vision becomes dim if we’re not steady focused on the vision of His glorious light.
Because in some seasons life’s scenery will appear barren and blank when we’re viewing it through the limited lens of what natural eyes can see.
So I keep reminding myself in whatever season I’m in to – walk by faith, not by sight.
Because only faith can look beyond the shaded grey and silver and perceive the promise that colors will once more adorn the surrounding scenery of life.
But it’s this silent quiet that can be overwhelming.
My soul yearns for something that moves and inspires, but all is frozen still, even the water bank is halted from it’s beautiful flow.
Everything seems to have stopped solid.
There’s no movement motivating us.
Yet, I’m learning.
I’m learning that the silence is a gift – the stillness an opportunity.
For it causes me to stop, to pause, to search. Without all the noise and distractions, I’m compelled to dig a bit deeper into holy scripture.
To quietly praise and pray and sit like Mary beside the Word, letting scriptures remind of the only real hope my soul is searching for.
In the silence I learn about strength. I learn where my strength and hope are found.
In winter, our physical eyes have yet to behold the beauty that is to become, the blossoms that will break open and the seeds which bring forth new life. However, the eyes of our spirit can sense that Spring and all it’s glory is on the way.
And the thing is some seasons come to reveal to us this desperate inner need we have to see and behold life.
And the life our souls are longing for isn’t dependent on the scenery of the season presented to us ~ but rather it’s what the pages of His Book are speaking to us.
Those written pages of His Word that inspire hope and promise new life – the eternal kind of life.
No matter the season outside, no matter the scenery surrounding our circumstances….
There is always life beneath the surface. It just takes eyes of faith to see it and believe.
“For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come…The fig tree puts forth her green figs and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell..”
(Song of Sol. 2:11-13)
