Spring Brings New Life
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Raise your hand if you are like me… You love the joy that comes with Spring?
The color starts coming back to the limbs of tree branches, buds start forming, the grass comes back show casing new depths of greens, flowers pop and not only do we have rainbows of color, but we are also blessed with the perfume aroma from them!! As the flowers increase in numbers so do the butterflies and bees which brings forth fertilization and more life!! Birds make nests and hatch eggs… all of which is part of the cycle of life, and the cycle of seasons.
“Spring represents beauty and new life after a cold winter”
Spring in and of itself is beautiful. The warmth without the harsh heat and mosquitoes makes it a fantastic time to be outdoors. However, spring is beautiful for more reasons than just those — Spring represents beauty and new life after a cold winter.
There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10) and for everything there is a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1). This means we WILL encounter winter seasons in our lives. This also means we WILL encounter the spring seasons in our lives —- PRAISE THE LORD!!!
It is never nice enduring hard times, but there is always purpose. When researching about my fruit trees this year, I learnt something interesting: some plants NEED a deep freeze to stimulate the preparations internally for flower production in the summer, which in turn produces fruit.
This struck a chord in ME! I love how God uses gardening and nature to simplify messages He wants to teach us. As painful as times can be, we truly miss out on a plentiful harvest of fruit if we fail to be stimulated internally by dark seasons in our lives.
What season are you in? WINTER —> SPRING —> SUMMER —> FALL or AUTUMN for my Aussie followers ;)
I would like to be real with you all, I am just stepping up and out of a really harsh winter. Yes, you read that right — even coaches, pastors and councilors have seasons (remember we are all human and part of that humanity is that ALL will face trials of many kinds). Just as I shared with you in the previous blog post about needing time to focus on the transition of family life through adoption, this was my winter. But, stepping up and out of the cold, wintery season brought me into my new spring, my relaunch into coaching and mentoring women and wives in Christ through life and marriage! As beautiful as my spring is looking — it does not discount the icy facets of the trials my family just walked through. Memories of hardships can still be fresh in your mind; these are the scars God uses. It is also the fresh reminder of what God has just done! In fact, I have a feeling it might even be a long Spring this year in my home, before the summer stays (just like the weather has actually done this year, flip flopping from winter to spring :P). I am CHOOSING however to remain focused on the TRUE SEASON, this time of year IS SPRING by MONTH not be climate. Same in my life, I AM stepping out of winter, and I AM in spring. You have the same opportunity to change your mindset and speak God’s truth over your season. Hallelujah!
Is there good that comes from hard seasons? God’s word says that it is through the trials of many kinds that our character is forged.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James states that it is the testing of your faith (in a trial/ winter season) that produces perseverance. As you continue to walk out each day of your trial, this perseverance matures you into Christlikeness (THE FRUIT)!!! Do you see it now??? The cold harsh winter tests your faith (internal stimulation) through the entire season (perseverance) which in the right season (stepping out of the trial) produces an abundance of fruit (maturity /Christlike character).
Let’s go deeper, James also tells us to consider it joy to go through trials of many kinds. I admit, I was not joyful about some really hard trials of my life, even my most current. However, when I persevere all the way through to the end and look back, THAT IS WHEN I FEEL THE JOY because I can see what God has done and how I matured (because I desire to be Christlike). What I love even more is that others get to benefit from my trials and my lessons learnt too!! Double and triple blessings <3.
So, as I type this today, just recently stepping out into my Spring — I want to celebrate what I have persevered through! And I want to ask you to do the same. Would you celebrate your perseverance today?
Maybe you have a testimony as you step into Spring like me.
Maybe you are coasting along in Summer really enjoying the fruit of your reward.
Maybe you can tell you are starting to step into something hard.
Maybe you are currently in the middle of what seems like a season that just won’t end.
Let me encourage you that there is an end date stamped on your trial. Let me encourage you that you are not alone! Let me encourage you that you are walking out your faith and God is faithful to complete His work in you.
If you are needing some support through your difficult seasons, please reach out to me and schedule a FREE introductory session so we can set up a plan to support you as you walk this out.
Alternatively, if you know someone else who is walking a difficult road and you would like to gift them support, please email me letting me know you would like to sponsor a family and we can arrange sending them a gift certificate.
Remember, this is a community! I would LOVE to hear from you. We are in this together ;)
