Like a circle. Like a wave.
Was it cold this morning?
It was.
I left my apartment in my business casual, short sleeve polo (a phrase this former “cool youth pastor” was never meant to utter) and came across a feeling that for so many days had been foreign to me in this new land of South Carolina:
Cold.
This was… unnerving. See, this former “cool youth pastor” also formerly lived in Montana and other northern states (southerners respond: “and it shows”), and therefore formerly felt cold for nearly 10 months out of the year. Even some of the hottest days in August would begin in the upper forties before the sun pulled us back into summer by around noon.
When looking at the possibility of moving to South Carolina one of the most pronounced things that landed on our “pros” list was “warm.” I genuinely thought there was hardly a shift in seasons in the south. Eventually someone mentioned that there is in fact a fall, a spring, and sometimes even a hint at winter, accompanied by
Cold.
Still, I held myself under the impression that this couldn’t be true. “There won’t be seasons,” I thought, “this is South Carolina.” And then this morning. The step out of my apartment. That unnerving feeling of
Cold.
-
Like a circle. Like a wave.
Life is like that. We tend to hold ourselves under the impression that there won’t be seasons, that there won’t be cold. That summer is all there will be, and even the thought of a changing season is… unnerving.
This journey God has us on is different, though. As much as we might sometimes wish it to be for our comfort, He purposes it for our growth. And growth comes in seasons. Growth comes after the cold.
I’ve spoken with a few of you these last two months and felt the radiant rays of summer while sitting in your presence. Lemonade and pool parties. Fruitfulness and warmth. Brightness and abundance.
Others in the dead of winter. Frozen beneath the frost. Burdened by snow. Shorter days and longer nights.
What season are you in?
If you’re in a summer of your own - enjoying a wonderful season of fruitfulness and abundance - take the time to notice and live in every single moment. Busyness can only rob us if we let it. These truly are the days, don’t let them go unnoticed. Thank God and let your heart be full of praise at all that is gift that surrounds you. Drink that lemonade. DO that cannonball. Summer is the best.
If you’re in winter, don’t be surprised. As unnerving as this feels, it’s to be expected. Seasons come and seasons go. Don’t check out. Don’t miss it. Take the time to notice and live in every single moment. There is deep purpose in this season. Though it’s cold and dark and feeling fruitless, these truly are the days from which abundant growth springs forth. “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,” Jesus says, “it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Each winter, a part of me dies. It can feel painful and confusing, lonely and sad. But winter’s not forever. Each spring sees a fresh thaw. Each summer, a new plant with many seeds grows.
Growth comes after the cold.
Winter may not have pool parties or lemonade, but it’s not without its perks. The best one is curling up next to the Fire.
Expect each season. Embrace each moment. Give thanks to the unchanging One who has purpose and plans for you in every changing season.