Embrace the Season, Don't Despise It

“Tis the Season to Be Jolly.” This familiar song verse is sung with glee every Christmas. When heard, it’s easy to be lulled into a state of blissfulness that will influence you to forget about your problems.

The season of Winter is a welcomed visitor for many who enjoy sledding, skiing, and watching snowflakes trickle down. Before Winter settles in, it can appear to play with its grand entrance.

Some days are cold, and others are warm causing confusion regarding what to wear. When the season finally decides that it will stay within a steady temperature range, it’s easy to dress accordingly.

However, opposed to the welcome of its appearance, its lingering presence can create dread.

This is due to the heavy snowstorms, blizzards, and freezing temperatures. Although these effects can make life seem unbearable, there are some benefits to these frigid effects such as lowering the spread of diseases, viruses, and infections.

Winter also improves your sleep patterns which improves your health. The negative aspects of Winter can make the blissful picture of holiday activities appear as a nightmare.

However, it can be endured with the right tools. As long as you’re prepared physically and mentally to tread through mounds of snow, you can anticipate the next season to bring flowers, refreshing rain, and sunny days.

Seasons Change and You Do Too

Environmental seasons present fluctuating effects. The effects that are attractive make us feel happy while the unwelcoming effects such as dark clouds, thunder, ice, and lightning make us feel uncertain about our future.

The same can be true regarding seasons in our lives. There are seasons when everything we aim to acquire is achieved without little struggle. On the contrary, there are seasons when our efforts seem to work against us.

Farmers can identify with this illustration because of the labor that’s involved with digging, seeding, plowing, and harvesting. Depending on the climate, the outcome can yield an abundance of nutritious crops.

However, if a drought has occurred, the outcome can be devastating for these agricultural investors. Time and money will be lost thus leaving the laborers wondering about their ability to survive.

The best thing about seasons is that they change. Perhaps you’re in a season that’s making your future’s forecast look gloomy.

You may have tried all you can to make your relationships, business, or some other area of your life work without any harvest in view. You may also feel like your prayers are worthless.

These feelings are normal but can be tricky when it comes to the outcome of your future.

When gardening or farming, you can’t initially see the outcome of your work, but you must continue to cultivate your field. If you don’t, you’ll be greatly disappointed.

It’s easy to envy others regarding their gardens, agricultural harvest, relationships, and assets. Although the display of their accomplishments is admirable, their hard work is not shown.

Success does not reveal sleepless nights, worrisome moments, and difficult decision-making processes. All of these factors produce change and growth.

You may not see any progress in your challenges because of the length of time you’ve been dealing with your difficulties, but don’t despise the pressure. Environmental seasons can bring variable pressure that sometimes causes catastrophic damage.

Life challenges can also bring pressure that threaten the stability of your sanity and salvation. However, it’s through that pressure when changes in your mindset and behavior begin to manifest your maturity just as buds expose flowers which have gone through development stages.

Your Season Will Change in Due Time

Although I have compared environmental seasons with seasons of our lives, unfortunately the cycle of climatic changes are not the same. We can expect a new weather season every three months. However, our life seasons may last for several months or years.

James 1:2-4 (KJV) encourages us to …”count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing.”

Isaiah 48:10 also reveals …”Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”

These verses emphasize the requirement to wait until the process of maturation is complete in us. We often want to move from uncomfortable situations very quickly.

If we are permitted to exit every situation before we are complete, we are likely to miss the lessons we must learn, or the positive impact we are supposed to leave on others when we chose to do right despite the mistreatment we may encounter while in our trying situations.

Look at Your Season from a Different Angle

As indicated previously, when Winter comes, those who enjoy snow, welcome the cold season while others see chores.

Yes, it’s true you have to shovel loads of snow, scrap ice, and wear heavy clothes, but one of the benefits the cold season brings is providing opportunities to spend time with loved ones while enjoying wonderful holiday meals. It’s how you look at a challenge.

Rather than saying I hate this, or I can’t stand this, say I’m getting better, everything will work out fine, or brighter days are ahead. When you’ve learned the lesson or fulfilled the assignment in your life, you’ll be able to reflect on how much you’ve grown mentally and spiritually.

Stay Blessed and Enjoy the Season You’re In

References

Mamiverse. (2018). 15 Benefits of Cold Weather.