If walls could talk. How about if windows could talk? Mine do! A little while ago the windows in my bathroom were speaking with a beautiful message that I believe the Lord revealed to me while I was in the shower.
There are pros and cons to living in a house that is over one hundred years old. We love the character a centenarian house brings, but our old double hung windows have a tendency to frost up to the point of completely obscuring the view to the outside world. It’s a little bit like living in a frosty root beer mug.
On this particular day, it was dreadfully cold outside and the windows were in full frosty effect. As I was in the shower, I noticed that the sun was trying to shine through one of the icy panes, and the diffused light lit up something pretty miraculous that I almost didn’t notice. What at first looked like typical frost patterns, started to reveal an even more beautiful and poignant vision. All of a sudden, the feathery ice formations revealed a stunning spring scene that almost jumped off the window at me.
I began to see flowers and in particular, dandelions, waving in the breeze releasing their seeds into the spring air. Keep in mind, it was far from spring and the actual temperature outside was well below zero degrees, so the last thing I was thinking about was a warm pre-summer day. But the specificity of what the image on my window portrayed was undeniable.
As I was marveling at mother nature’s unexpected “work of art”, I felt the Lord impress something upon my heart. He said, “Even in seasons of life that feel as cold and dead as winter, I can bring hope and new life.” It felt clear as day, and I knew He was using His beautiful creation to once again teach me more about His promises.
I think it’s safe to say we all have experienced those winter seasons where we feel like we are floundering and frozen. Those cold seasons can look different for everyone. Sometimes it’s a stagnant feeling in our professional life, or a struggle with anxiety and depression. Maybe it’s a coldness you’re feeling toward God and your relationship with Him.
What I felt He was telling me that day is He is a God of NEW LIFE! Sometimes things need to rest, or even die, to produce new life. The dandelion begins as a seed that grows into a plant which produces a flower. The flower is the “pretty” part of its life (even though us garden and yard lovers tend to despise these weeds). Those showy, deep yellow petals catch our attention and are the crown of glory for the flower. It’s the part of the life cycle where they shine! Then the flower petals die and make way for the next stage which is the seed stage. When a puff of air, or my daughters’ deliberate breath on the silvery seed clock, dislodges the seeds they begin to float in the air looking for a place to land with the sole purpose to create NEW LIFE.
1 Peter 1:3-4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.”
When we put our faith and trust in Him, He can breathe NEW life in all areas of our life. He is the God of seasons and you can believe that He will bring you out of the cold season you may be facing right now. He will cover you with “Sonshine” and warmth that will melt away the ice and bring forth the spring you are desperately needing.
If you are needing a change of seasons in your life try doing these three things:
1. Trust that the sun is coming.
Start working on your mindset. Believe that this place you’re in isn’t forever, that God has a plan and purpose for your life and that it is good!
2. Ask for change.
Go before the Lord with your hurts, your frustrations, your pain. Tell Him what you’re feeling (even though He already knows) and ask Him to do a NEW THING in your life. Be specific in your request and always pray for His will. Trust me, it’s always better than what we think we need.
3. Be expectant.
Live expecting that there will be change. It might not look like what we think, or it may take longer than we like, but expect that God will take your struggles, allow them to make you stronger, and then use them for good in a brighter season.
Winter ice eventually melts. Flowers bloom, and seasons change. Look for the lessons in the unexpected.
Even while you’re in the shower.
