Reflections

The end of the year is rapidly approaching... I woke up this morning and immediately began remembering or reflecting on this last year.  I spent some time comparing 2014 to previous years; I even plunged into my distant past. (Scary notion – but it turned out alright).  It is an interesting process, pondering events, times, places and people that have passed through and left a mark on your life.

Reflection is not the snapshot of a “selfie” in your bathroom mirror, by the way.  When we reflect, we peer into, look deeply and see an image mirrored back. Time is warped! You might find yourself lingering in the memory or doing an about face, quick exit!  Sometimes the images are blurry and unclear. While other memories reproduce a crystal clear reflection.  Our emotions are shaken and may be stirred a little.  Spontaneous laughter, unexpected tears, hands-on-cheeks, “oh my gosh” astonishment and possibly the “wow, I’d forgotten all about that” are reflected back to us.  With our senses resurrected - we smell the aroma of the past. We taste the essence of the memory.  We spend time meditating on the touch of a breeze, the chill of a winter’s morn, or the caress of a loved one. If we still ourselves, we will hear the echoes. Sounds rebound, reverberating every pitch and tone –laughter, melodic voices, gleeful cries, encouraging words and the exciting animation of past events. Caught up in thought, your taste buds erupt, recalling the taste of that perfect meal or the salt of the ocean spray. In deep contemplation, smells are enhanced and beckon you - Granma’s fresh baked cinnamon rolls, the pine and spices of Christmas, the mustiness of an aged treasure or the scent of a Spring garden!  Warm, safe and serene, we can nestle up under the covers, and sigh like a child with their favorite cozy blanket, comforted by sweet memories.

Yes, I know.  Not all memories are sweet.  We all have our vexing remembrances. Regarding these recollections, use reflection to “work stuff out.”  I encourage you not to magnify their mirrored images.  Don’t dwell on imperfections; don’t examine every mistake as a flaw, or disappointment as a disfigurement.  Plug your nose, cover your eyes and ears, spit out the distasteful and shake off every disturbing reflection like a creepy crawly insect!  Disregard, move beyond, let go, cast down,  do “whatever” is required to relinquish the power of harmful memories. Instead, think on those things that are lovely, good, honorable, pure, and kind, reflect on images that bring lasting peace.

After reflecting, many individuals seek change or desire growth.  Every New Year people around the world promise themselves to break habits or begin new ones - “it’s time to quit” or “it’s time to start!”  Goals!  Plans! Self-Improvement! Corporations forecast production targets to boost morale and release creativity. Businesses, large and small, project and plan for increase and expansion. New slogans! Fresh advertisements! Grand Openings! And unfortunately – Going Out of Business Sales! Reorganization and downsizing!

If I were to ask you, “what lies ahead?” What is just beyond your fingertip reach? What are your resolutions? What do you want to change, do, or accomplish?”  What would you say?  Would you instantly have an answer?  Or would you need time to reflect?

At the end of my morning reflections ... I pondered this question:  What really should be studied, considered or reflected upon?  I concluded this:  At this very moment, a year from now, what reflection do you want to see? Selah...

One of my favorite artists is Claude Monet.  He would spend hours waiting for the perfect light to cast shadows and vibrant reflections. I cannot agree more with his words. “It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way.  So we must dig and delve unceasingly.”   I encourage you to wait and search for the perfect Light to illuminate your path in 2015.

Happy New Year!

Cheryl

Monet's Water Lilies...

Dealing with Disappointment

Cape Disappointment, WA 

Are you a Sinker, Swimmer, Duck or a Sailor?

Life is full of disappointments.  Some are harder to overcome than others.  There are people who never seem to get past being let down.  In contrast, there are those who have no problem letting go and moving on, completely unfazed by disappointment.  Of course, there are those who are situated between the two extremes.    

I call those individuals who can’t get over hardships,  “sinkers.” These folks let the woes of life weigh them down, causing them to sink, dragging them to the bottom, where they live life among the pond scum of despair. Yuck, no thank you.

Those in the middle are the “swimmers”; they tread the waters and become one with the waves of life. Although exhausted and often short-sighted, they are determined to fight the currents and rip tides of their situation at all costs. 

Next are the “ducks”, those that seem to peacefully glide upon the pools of disappointment, allowing the waters to flow off their backs.  Meanwhile, their submerged duck feet are frantically paddling, hidden from the view of others.



Lastly, are the “sailors,” those who sail the seas of disillusionment, by catching the wind in their sails, and tacking tenaciously through it.  Reveling in the breeze and the ocean spray, they breathe in deeply, daring the ocean of adversity to challenge their assured, “never gonna sink me” buoyancy.

I think I reside somewhere in the middle. I do my best to swim, but mostly I am a duck!  I have had my share of life’s disappointments, times of trial, betrayals, and unmet expectations. Like you, I have been sadden and disheartened in life. Ill-spoken and berating words have burdened my mind polluting my outlook. Countless times, I have been drenched with “when it rains it pours” mishaps and I’ve had my feathers ruffled by numerous “seriously, I can’t believe you did that” callous acts.  But, I keep moving my duck feet, skimming through the ripples of life, allowing for the waters of disappointment to bead and eventually roll off my back. 

Recently, I acknowledged to myself and my husband, that I have never really been much of a dreamer. (Maybe, it was one of those unique times to “confess your faults one to another.”  I am not sure; I’ll let you decide.) Anyway, even as a child, I did not set my hope toward any fulfillment of dreams. I cannot recall ever wishing for a certain gift for my birthday or Christmas, nor a trip to somewhere special like Disneyland.  I think I have journeyed through my life in a semi-content manner, taking the good with the bad.

Now, with my life past its midway point, I ponder this perspective.  I have spent my life encouraging others to dream, to be the best they can be, to stretch toward purpose and lean into their God-given destiny.  Yet, I remain a duck on the pond of life.  To be honest, I enjoy being a duck, especially the years of having and raising ducklings. My duck feet paddle with exuberance at the sight of my children taking flight and soaring, migrating the hopes and aspirations of their lives. I have been known to squawk as well, don’t mess with my ducklings, for if you do, you will hear a mouth full of complaint! At times, I have chased and nipped at the heels of unwanted predators.

However, in this season of life, I think I would like to be a sailor.  Even as I type, this thought causes me to smile and inwardly chuckle.  Is it really possible to change my outlook after all of these years?  The old adage, “People change, but not much” is whispering in my ear. Furthermore, I use to have a major issue with boats!  True, several years ago, I faced that fear by going to Catalina Island,  but still.  I guess we will have to wait and see.  Oh no, I didn’t! Oh yes, I did.  I said, “Wait and see.”  

Wait, hope and expect .... oh my!

“Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord” (Psalm 27:14- Amplified). 

Wait, hope and expect, must be important because they were mentioned twice in one verse!   

By nature, I do not wait well.  However, I have worked diligently at improving my patience level.  (I can thank my children for helping me with this endeavor.)  Hope... I love hope; I choose to be a prisoner of hope (Zechariah 9:12).  Nothing breaks my heart more, than the words “I have given up, there is no hope.” Please, please never surrender your hope!  Expect... okay, now we are getting to the nitty-gritty. Expect means to look forward to and anticipate the occurrence of something.  Sounds a whole lot like dreaming to me. I guess in reality, I hope to be able to dream at some point of my life.

Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” still resounds today.   He had a dream, and he looked forward to the day when his dream would be realized. To our dismay, his life was taken prior to the fulfillment of his dream. But, you and I have the opportunity to live out Dr. King’s dream.  Joseph had a dream. Yet, he endured the pit and prison before he enjoyed his appointment to palace. Moses led a stiff-necked generation of people through the desert for forty years, enduring a sea of endless complaints. Moses never entered the Promised Land, but he entered the presence of God many times.  Dr. King, Joseph, Moses, the Apostle Paul, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa, Thomas Edison, the list goes on and on.  These unique and honorable individuals faced disappointments like sailors.  They got hit, tossed and turned by gale forces several times, but each time they got back up. They suffered harsh conditions, yet, maneuvered their course, standing courageously against adversity. They never lost their resolve.

 

We admire these noble men.  Our mindsets should be challenged to move past admiration and into action.  We need to gather around “sailors,” men and women who defy disappointment.  We need to have them rub off on us.  We must gather the courage to get on board and set sail on the voyage of discovery, hoping and expecting that we will reach the other side, achieving our dream. Being surrounded by military personnel, I can hear my Navy friends, shouting “Go Navy!” Ha-ha  Regardless of what branch of military or walk of life we are in, it is our responsibility to “be present and accounted for” our preordained appointments.

“For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]” (Ephesians 2: 10 – The Amplified).

According to Ecclesiastes 3: 17, there is an appointed time for every matter and purpose and for every work. Simply put, an appointment is a prearranged, agreed upon, designated place in time to be. Disappointment occurs when we don’t show up, or we are late! Disappointment is a failure to keep an appointment. If I may go one step further, disappointment occurs when we are not on point. When we are on point, we have understanding of where we are to be at any given time (our appointment). When we are on point, we are “ready to perform and get down to business” (Urban Dictionary).  If we are not on point we are living haphazardly, without purpose, becoming open targets for failure and discontentment.  When the time came for Joseph’s appointment to the palace, he was ready, willing to get down to performing Pharaoh’s business.  Dr. King and Moses, both leaders of perverse generations, kept their appointments with their destiny as well.  They were in the right place, at the right time, they were on point, making a way for others to follow.

“What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.”  - Thomas Merton

So today, I ask you:  Are you disappointed?  If so, Don’t Sink! You have only been knocked down.  Don’t let the waves keep you floundering, reach out and grab hold of the Life Savior.  “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). In our weakness, He is strong. The Lord is our protector, our strong tower; in Him we find refuge.  Are you at your designated place?  If not, get on board, be on time and show up! I have spent most of my life, managing and controlling, which of course does not leave much time for dreaming. But, now I believe it is time for a change.  How about you? Our visions, our dreams are for an appointed time and they hasten to be fulfilled. Our purpose, our God-given dreams will not deceive or disappoint us. Though some may tarry, it is imperative that we wait for them. We can’t give up because they will surely come; they will not be late on their appointed day (Habakkuk 2: 3). Lastly remember, this is our time, we were born for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).

   

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

"Let us go over to the other side ... So they got into a boat and set out” (Luke 8:22 NIV).  

Join me as we set our sails into the great beyond.... beyond grief, beyond despair, beyond failure, beyond betrayal, beyond doubt, beyond fear, beyond guilt, beyond frustrated expectations. Set your bearing, pick your point on the horizon, and set sail. I’ll be waiting for you, see you on the other side.  

If you enjoyed what you read in my blog, I encourage you to read my book -  Exposed! 

You can purchase your copy at http://www.amazon.com/Exposed-Cheryl-E-Rodriguez/dp/149425591X/

The Last Hours...

“He loved them to the last and to the highest degree” – John 13: 1

Jesus was about to face the biggest challenge of His humanity, what did He do?  What did He say? What was His last request? What was on His heart in The Last Hours...

Jesus gathered His closet friends, He spoke from his heart, He made promises and He asked them to remember Him.  Afterwards, they walked together to His favorite getaway place, the garden on the Mt. of Olives.  

With his friends around him, Jesus asked them to watch and pray.  He did not ask them for their advice or opinions; He did not ask them to join Him in a prayer circle, to prophesy, pray in agreement or to lay hands on Him...He asked them to pray, so that THEY would not fall into temptation.   He asked, more like begged them to become one with Father, for their benefit, not His.  Furthermore, He did not need their swords, even though He requested they bring them, He did not need them to intervene or provide protection! 

With the cross before Him, He was concerned about their well being. Jesus knew unless they trusted in and were one with the Father, they would not be able to get through the next few  hours and days.  He knew they needed to rely on the Father to get them through, scattering and running away, denying Him, their bereavement, their doubt and their confusion of what lay ahead.   

Jesus asked them to pray so that they could find their way back.  He asked them to pray so that they could believe again.  He asked them to pray so their sorrow could be exchanged for garments of praise, their grief into joyous strength.  He asked them to pray so faith would defeat fear and blessed assurance would conquer confusion. He asked them to pray so hope could be released into their tomorrow. He asked them to pray so His promises would be fulfilled.

Today, Jesus still asks us to watch and pray.  Not for His benefit, but for ours.  He asks us to pray, so that we may become one with the Father, as He and His Father are one.   He asks us to watch and pray so that we can be filled with His strength, with His joy.  He asks us to pray that we might overcome the world.  He asks us to pray so that we can hear the voice of the Father.  He asks us to pray so that our spirit would be filled and heart and soul comforted.  He asks us to pray that we might be forgiven.  He asks us to pray that His kingdom would come and His will be done.  He asks us to pray...because He loves us.

Happy Easter....

Old, Worn and Outcast

When I saw the photo of this piano, the image held me captive. My heart ached; I was saddened by her broken and forsaken appearance.

Long ago, a tree was selected; its wood carefully cut and then ornately designed to house her masterfully woven strings. At one time, she was precisely tuned to produce perfect pitch and harmony. The ebony and ivory keys were once flawless. Polished and full of luster, they lured the pianist, “caress me with your dancing fingers.” Now feeble, old and worn, she is an outcast.

How many tunes has she played? Endless melodies sung; ballads, jazz, hymns, folk or rock songs. Was this piano a dear companion to a composer? Perhaps, she served a virtuoso, a student of classical music? Maybe she was played in the theater, a church or possibly a pub? Cast off and abandoned, was she ever cherished, considered priceless, a family treasured heirloom?

Wondering, I kept looking at the photo; focusing on the unseen. Grayed and weathered, with her frame splintered, her keys warped, and her strings brittle and broken, she stands resolute. As I continued to look, my sadness surrendered to her mystery. Untold buried stories. I longed-for her forgotten music. Closing my eyes, I listened for her unsung song. “I made music, beautiful music. Once upon a time, lively audiences gathered around me, dancing, singing, and celebrating. An instrument of hope and purpose, my listeners felt free and alive!” Today, her youthful beauty has faded. Discarded, hollow and muted; only creeping crowds of entangling vines surround her.

This old wooden instrument returned home; a solemn carved-out tree in the midst of nature. At night, solitary and alone, does she secretly play melancholy tunes of days gone by? Or, do the nightingales and evening primrose beckon her to play choruses of triumphant joyful sound? Oh - to sit silently on a starry night and listen to her hushed lullabies. I imagine moon beams awakening her dormant keys, and nocturnal vines and spider webs, mending her broken strings. Bending my ear, I hear nature's clandestine choir. Upon her aged frame, creatures of the night; crickets, frogs, and owls conduct their evening symphony. All the while, fireflies dance like fairies, performing a glowing ballet. In her twilight years, nestled in the garden of life, encore performances forever play. In her solitude, she tenderly serenades...

“And the night shall be filled with music,

And the cares that infest the day

Shall fold their tents like the Arabs

And as silently steal away.”* 

Now, as I gaze at this piano, I am caught up in wonder of what once was, and enveloped in the hope of what could be. No matter how lost, old, worn, forgotten or abandoned you feel. Don’t lose heart! Hope!

“Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” What lies ahead of us is a glory beyond all comparison. I encourage you to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.”
(2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Look beyond, look closer and see what could be – the unseen!


* Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

---

Absent

If I am where I am suppose to be at any given time, my path will intersect with those I am destined to meet, or encounter.  I will be there to reach out to someone, or someone will be there to reach out to me.  If I am where I am expected in the scheme of my story, I will act, by engaging life; not merely exist.  If I am present at my appointed time, life will challenge me through conflict or connect me to its essence through a rare experience, or “aha” moment.   

My one fear in life is not being there, missing the moment, being tardy for a divine appointment. My mind spins and my heart pounds, thinking I might forsake another, by not being there. I fear being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Zigging, when I should have zagged.   Absent.  Nonexistent.  Vacant from life.   I don’t want to be standing on the shore, looking out to sea, and realize my ship set sail without me.   Good or bad, I want to be present in all of my moments.

I believe time can be our biggest foe, or our best friend.  Like it or not, time is a companion through our life’s journey.  We live daily.  The sun rises, the sun sets, calling it a day.  Time elapses.  Days yield to months, months comprise seasons, seasons unfold into years.  Years add up, their sum a lifetime.  Time becomes our greatest enemy when we race against it.  If we attempt to defy time, we fight a losing battle.  On the other hand, when used for our benefit and well-being, time can be a comforter, our greatest ally.   We can seize time, by making it ours. Or we can waste time, by letting it slip away unnoticed.  

"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in." - Henry David Thoreau 

I am by nature, a scheduled, organized, properly ordered, sequential person, living, “Life by the book- my book!”  A number of years ago, I decided to embrace time as a faithful friend, instead of my antagonist.  (This was not an easy task, by the way!) By doing so, I no longer race against the hour glass; as the sands of time fall, I open up my hand and capture each tiny grain, each moment.  As a result, I am less fearful of “not being there,” because I am no longer hurried, or enslaved by my fear. 

Liberated, I enjoy time.  I use time, it doesn't use me.  I daily face my fear of absence, by allowing myself to be present in the moment.  I choose to be still, not scheduled.  I silence my restlessness by giving myself permission to get caught up in time:  getting lost in a thought, soaking up sunshine, gazing into nature,  being captivated by a good book, breathing in life, instead of gulping it down.  Recently, I sat for over an hour watching a tiny snowflakes dance outside my window.   Many might say, I wasted my time, au contraire.  By yielding time to a dancing snowflake, years of understanding were added to my life.

Today is a new day, full of once in a lifetime moments.  Don’t miss out on any of them. This is the day that the Lord has made, take the time, pause for a moment, and rejoice and be glad. After all, our times are in His hands.  I cherish Charles Spurgeon’s words; the “atmosphere of our existence” is in the hands of God. Forever present, never absent.  Amen. 

Random Thoughts about God, Life and Stuff

About a year ago I began writing down my random thoughts.  At times they are truly bizarre.  I amaze myself at the ideas and images that pop into my mind.  God truly reveals Himself to me in a unique fashion.  We truly have a one-on-one relationship. It is rare, certainly one of a kind, and there is no religiousness about it. He tells me secrets and I embrace them.  At times, I feel I can actually finish His sentences. God thinks about me, He thinks about you too!  When He and I talk, I ask Him what He is thinking about. What He is up too? And what are His plans concerning me? In these times... I get to be me, vulnerable and unashamed.     Yes, God and me... we be mates.

I am required to bring only one thing to our intimate rendezvous... stillness.  

God often speaks to me in the tub, or late, late at night. I have received profound revelation while ironing.  I have been stirred into deep contemplation while staring at the ocean. Countless divine dialogues have occurred in the evening with a glass of wine.  Some of my most dynamic inspirations have come through nature.  I totally get Ralph Waldo Emerson when he wrote,

 "Never lose an opportunity to see anything that is beautiful.  It is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament."   

Yet, sometimes God's passion and the depth of His heart manifest when life is ugly, unfair and violent.  He desires me to feel His heartache. He wants me to listen to Him.

Just to give you a taste, here are today’s random thoughts:

Jesus defied the forces of nature when He walked across the water.  He walked as a man, not as a spirit. Although at first glance, his disciples thought He was a phantom upon the water.  Jesus always looks unreal, unrecognizable from a distance.  It is only up close, in his presence that His realness is revealed.

My random thoughts:  I wonder if Jesus feet got wet?  I am curious if He felt the pressure of the water as He reached in and grabbed Peter’s hand?  Lastly, did his clothing leave a puddle once He stepped on board the boat?   Contemplating the Divine...


Until next time,
Cheryl

Could This Little Bird...be Me?

See the little bird in the tree,

Hidden so masterfully.

Nestled, camouflaged delicately

Among the branches intricately.

Could this little bird...be me?

A silent statue on a limb

Shrouded, thus stoically dim.

Perched, yet poetically prim

A faint, fluttering rhythm.

Resolute, what stirs him?

Could this little bird... be me?

Change of posture, a sound slight

Suddenly, the bird takes flight.

A secret signal, soaring to the heights

The horizon lures his keen eyesight.

Flying higher, higher without fright

Sweet liberty, glorious delight

Could this little bird... be me?

Is there a height to high?

Is there a song, a shrieking cry?

A melodious lullaby?

Could I soar, attempt to fly?

Are there dreams beyond my eye?

My heart and soul, softly sigh.

Could this little bird... be me?

Dedicated to my children:  Christopher, Erica, Daphne and Natalie.

More ... but Most of All

I want to cry, but I want to laugh more,

But, most of all I want the heart of Jesus.

I want to engage in battle, but I want the victory more,

But, most of all I want to be a warrior commanded by Jesus.

I want to journey, but I want adventure more,

But, most of all I want to be where Jesus has placed me.

I want understanding, but I want wisdom more,

But, most of all I want to obtain the mind of Jesus Christ.

I want life, but I want to really live more,

But, most of all I want eternity with Jesus Christ.

I want a voice, but I want to be listen more,

But, most of all I want to hear the silent whispers of God.

I want to be fearless, but I want faith more,

But, most of all I want the assurance found only in Jesus Christ.

I want to pursue happiness, but I want joy more,

But, most of all I want to exalt the Savior of my soul.

I want to see, but I want to observe more,

But, most of all I want to gaze into the revealing eyes of Jesus.

I want to climb, but I want to fly more,

But, most of all I want to mount up on wings of eagles and soar.

I want to be free, but I want to unshackle the world more,

But, most of all I want to be a bond servant to My Lord and Master, Jesus. 

I want justice, but I want righteousness more,

But, most of all I want redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ.

I want companionship, but I want to be a friend more,

But, most of all I want an intimate relationship with Jesus.  

I want to be me, but I want to surrender all of me more,

But, most of all I want Emanuel, Christ in me and through me.

I want hope, but I want to expect more,

But, most of all I want to wait patiently on the Lord.

I want to dream, but I want to believe more,

But, most of all I want to be found trustworthy by God the Father.

I want to be seen, but I want to be hidden more,

But, most of all, I want to be sheltered under the wings of the Almighty.

I want to move, but I want to “be still and know” more,

But, most of all I want to be found resting at the feet of Jesus.

I want to taste, but I want feel more,

But, most of all I want to see through the eyes of Jesus.

I want to run, but I want to finish the race of life more,

But, most of all I want hear “well done my good and faithful servant.”

I want to tell a story, but I want to be an epic tale more,

But, most of all I want my life to be written by the Author, Jesus Christ.

I want to be here, but I want to be there more,

But, most of all I want to be present in His Presence.

There are countless wants, and seas of endless mores

But, most of all there’s  ...  Jesus.

Winter's Bend

As I sit, deep in thought, I stare out the window.  The sky is cloudy; the ground has patches of snow leftovers from the last winter storm. The grass is stretching, and peeking through the white icy crust.   The peaks of the nearby roofs are covered in a white thick blanket.  As I focus, and begin to keenly look, I see one isolated little snow flake fall, it seems very lonely as it gently floats down.  Then I gaze a little longer, I see yet another tiny flake flurrying in the air.  I realize this is very similar to life at times.  We often feel very lonely and isolated in the world. Sometimes we feel we are one lone flurrying flake. But if we give life a chance we will realize that we are not alone. 

The truth is, we gently fall into our explicit defined places, and we gather and unite, softly dusting our surroundings.  In time, more and more will congregate; soon the land will be completely covered.  Nestled under this layer of glistening goodness, the earth is resting, preparing to give life once again.  Just around the winter’s bend, the sun will shine, the wind will blow. There will be a thaw, a melting.  The earth will be watered.  Winter will end; spring is just around the corner, something special waits for us, at the winter’s bend.

The scripture tells us, that God gives to the earth snow like a blanket of wool; He scatters the hoarfrost [frozen dew] like ashes.  He casts forth His ice like crumbs; who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word, and melts the ice and snow; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow (Psalm 147: 16-18).

“ I prefer winter and Fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape — the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show.”  ~Andrew Wyeth

Untold stories are the souls of mankind that are covered with frost and ice, yet God promises a defrosting.  This thawing will melt away heartache, shame, sin, doubt, despair and brokenness. This thaw will give way to wonderful stories full of epic characters, conquering insurmountable conflicts, etched upon the canvass life.

 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

God sent for His Word, and the Word is God Himself and His Word brings forth life.  Jesus thaws the frozen land, He melts the frigid heart.  He speaks life into death; He chisels away at the cold hardened heart.  He looks at His Father’s creation, and does not see frozen tundra; He does not see a wasteland.  He sees a world worth saving, a people worth dying for.  Jesus was sent into the world to bring salvation.  Jesus came into the world so that we could be delivered from the harshness of the world, that we could be protected from the world’s stinging, bitter frost.  Jesus came to the world, that it would be made safe and sound through Him. He stretched out His life, opened His arms, and He shrouded our sins with His blood and His blood washes us whiter that snow. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Knowing this makes my soul rejoice, my spirit spring to life and sets my mind to rest.

Soon, yes very soon the snow covered land will bring forth fruit, all those seeds that have lain dormant, will spring to life. The fields are filled with winter wheat. The harvest will be plentiful!  The vine will be filled with abundant fruit, flowers will bring forth divine fragrance, and herbs will savor the sullen, taste will be awakened and bud in delight. “O taste and see that the Lord our God is good” (Psalm 34:8).  He has made everything beautiful in its time; He has planted life and purpose within our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3: 11).

Look ahead; see the curve that is before you, it is the winter’s bend.  Before long, you will be able to declare, “Winter is past, spring has sprung!”