Why we need winter

Right now we are in the midst of winter- cold, grey, rainy, perhaps snow soon. The leaves have long since fallen to the ground. It's bare, empty, and not very pretty out there. Perhaps some of us are walking in a winter season with Jesus.

 Sometimes we have periods in our lives where everything seems to be stripped away. Things are pruned back- painful cutting out of perhaps unhealthy behaviors or dependency on something other than Christ. Sometimes even good things are removed- a close friend dies, a ministry we enjoyed fails to continue, or a child moves away from home. We may feel alone and isolated. We may feel like even Jesus has left us (even though we know he has not: Hebrews 13:5). It's cold and dry and barren inside our hearts. It's painfully still, and terribly silent.

What does it all mean??? Have I sinned so much that He can't stand to be around me anymore? Romans 5 of the Message bible says no: He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

Does he want me to suffer and be alone? In Jeremiah 29:11, He says: I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out- plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you a future of hope!

So why the pain? Why the pruning? Why is this necessary? WHY do I need winter?
In winter, gardeners prune back plants usually for three reasons- to bear more fruit/increased growth, to become healthier, and to have better shape.

God wants you to bear good, healthy fruit- the fruit of His Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). The Message bible puts it this way (I LOVE this version!): But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard- things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

He wants His kids to bear good fruit that won't spoil, no yucky useless fruit here. He wants us to be well, not just "ok" or happy, but truly well and whole. Some things may have to be removed from our lives for that to happen. And when he prunes us, He is also shaping us and preparing us to be more like Him, and to be ready for that "hopeful future" we saw in Jeremiah 29:11. Since He alone has complete knowledge of the future, He has the right to do whatever is necessary to get us ready for it. And sometimes, often times, it's the painful winter season in our hearts that shapes us the most.

It also creates a longing for spring. Oh how we LONG for that fresh, new, life-filled season to come! We wait, and we watch, and we press on- even through the winter. Spring ALWAYS comes. We know it is true.

And so, I leave you with this, Romans 5:5, Msg: We continue to shout our praise even when we are hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary- we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Bust out the hats, scarves, and gloves and dig into His Word. This winter will pass, and soon we will feel and see the coming of spring as we wait in alert expectancy!