“I could never be lonely along the river. With so many trees in the city, you could see the spring coming each day until a night of warm wind would bring it suddenly one morning. Sometimes the heavy cold rains would beat it back so that it would seem that it would never come and that you were losing a season out of your life. This was the only true sad time in Paris because it was unnatural. You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintry light. But you knew there would always be a spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person had died for no reason.
In those days, though, the spring always came finally but it was frightening that it had nearly failed.
/…/
When the spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as the spring itself.”Ernest Hemingway – A Moveable Feast
The hard seasons will always be around. But remember, my love, there will always come the spring. The moment when you will forget the pain of the winter. It seemed nearly unbearable and heavy. The blankets that weighed you down. The cold that hurt you to the bone. But when the spring comes your heart will race toward the beauty of hope. The beauty of promise. The fulfillment of faith.
You will run near empty in spiritual seasons of testing. You will cry out, “why??” You will want to throw your arms up and throw your body to the ground. Giving up because this winter is too much to bear.
My love. You’re not alone.
You’ve never been alone.
And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.Isaiah 58:11
Cling close to your Father. Seek prayer and encouragement from your brothers and sisters in Christ. The winds are harsh and cold. You’re not meant to go at it alone. There is a time to be strong and there is a time to allow others to bless you and serve you.
And then the spring will come.
You will be trudging through the cold valley when your eyes will grace upon life. You will see that He was always taking care of you. He was always with you. And He was preparing your heart for spring.
Why we shut down, why we allow our hearts to ice over – I can only explain because we’re human. Our vision is so dreadfully bad. If we don’t allow our Father to be our guide then we are doomed to follow our hearts that are deceptive and wicked. We fear the worse and we believe that the winter will never end.
And if it doesn’t? What if we enter into a forever winter of Narnia? Will you allow your heart to be lead by false beliefs? Or will you trust that the One who loves you is taking care of you and is preparing your spring?
Without Christ it will always be winter. We have to conscientiously renew our minds. Change how we have allowed the world to determine our thoughts. Refocus on Christ. It is so difficult, my love. We want to satisfy our flesh but it has to be Christ. We must deny ourselves and live for the One Who died for us.
Winter is tough.
But spring is coming.
Trust Him.
Blessings!
