Judging from the bitterly cold and windy weather outside you would never have guessed that only a month ago we were complaining about how hot it was. I remember wondering if we might experience the discomfort of heat all year. Summer felt like it would never end. However, low and behold, with only a couple weeks of mild temperatures, the cold winter weather arrived.
Even though this past summer I knew the truth – that God is always faithful in changing the seasons – when I was in the heat of the moment, it felt as though summer might last forever. The added worry that it may never cool down only increased my stress and dissatisfaction with the intense heat.
Isn’t it interesting how a season can give you the impression that it will last forever? A storm as that same effect.
This past fall I was watching some very ominous clouds roll in. I was certain there was going to be a tornado or some type of storm that would tear my house down or leave some sort of damaging effects. But then just as quickly as the clouds rolled in, they began to fizzle out and dissipate into a beautiful sunset.
It’s easy to make false judgments about the future when we’re in the middle of a long season or when there appears to be trouble on the horizon. It’s also easy to let those false judgments add unnecessary anxiety and worry to our life.
The quick change of seasons and the dissipating storm clouds can serve as a reminder that not only is it useless to worry about the future but it also reminds us that the tribulations we’re experiencing now could vanish at any moment. The feeling that says “This will last forever or destroy my life” will only add unnecessary worry and anxiety to the already uncomfortable struggles of the season.
I love the fact that we really can’t predict what the next season will be like or when it will start, just as I love seeing dark clouds fizzle into nothing.
Are you in a season right now that feels like it will never end? Is there an ominous-looking cloud of circumstances or events on your horizon? Let the unpredictability of seasons and clouds comfort you. Your next season might be just around the corner and your frightening news not as bad as it seems. Don’t let worry and anxiety compound the problem.
Luke 12:25 says,” And who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Even if the season you’re in does appear like a long road with no light at the end of the tunnel, there is always hope because God is faithful. He is faithful at changing the seasons and he will be faithful to His promises. God promises that “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself, restore, confirm, and establish you.” I Peter 5:10.
We don’t know what “a little while” means. It could mean days, weeks, months, or even years. Our hope though doesn’t come from how quickly God will remove us from our circumstances. Our hope comes from the promise that God is full of love and grace and will be with us during our trials. So we need not worry if our season will last forever, nor do we put our hope in changing circumstances. Our hope is in God and God is faithful and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. And when we are tempted He will always provide a way out so that we can endure it. I Cor. 10:13
What would life look like if we lived each day resting in the promises of God and enjoyed whatever the day may bring – whether that’s hot weather or cold weather, a stormy day or a sunny day? What if we stopped inflicting ourselves with the additional pain of worry and anxiety? Might we perhaps suddenly find ourselves in a brand new season? Maybe the black cloud that is approaching on the horizon is only droplets of worry and as soon as we let our anxiety go, it will vanish into a glorious sunset.