Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in an emotional, spiritual or physical winter? As nature around us prepares us for spring, it’s easy to feel like we’re still waiting for our own season of renewal. But just as nature finds its way back to life, so can we. We, too, have hope in hard seasons.
This time of year, is always exciting. The end of winter and the beginning of spring is full of hope and revival. As the colder months fade and warmer months begin to settle in, the animals start to come out of hibernation. The birds start to sing their joyful songs. You start to see the butterflies, the bees and little baby animals. Trees begin to show bright green where bare branches once hung. It’s truly as if nature is coming alive again.
Sometimes we have moments in our lives where we feel like we’re stuck in a long slumber. We may even feel spiritually or mentally dead at times. There are days when every step forward is met with two steps back. The weight of the world presses in, and it’s hard to see beyond the darkness. It can even feel as if we cannot continue. Sometimes the dark, cold times seem to last forever. But just like a garden, new life often grows in the most unlikely places.
Hope in Hard Seasons: Lessons from the Garden
Last fall, my husband and I planted corn in buckets since we rent and can’t dig up the yard. The corn didn’t do much, so we tossed it back into the soil without much thought. We figured it would just break down and we would use the soil for our spring garden. But, to our surprise, little corn sprouts started popping up from the old kernels! Now they are full-blown corn plants!
God’s Promise of Transformation and Hope in Hard Seasons
Seeing the old corn kernels grow into new life, makes me think of how God uses even our hardest, most difficult moments to create something new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
This truth is a promise. Even our darkest moments can give way to transformation and growth when we give our lives to Christ.
What Can We Do?
Some things you can try to find hope in hard seasons are:
Pray (Water your garden)-Talk to God about how you are feeling. Really pour your heart out to Him. He’s a gentle and loving Father and He is not surprised by anything you have to tell Him. He wants to hear from you!
” Cast all your care upon him; for he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7
Give Thanks (Sunlight)-Gratitude is very important in changing our mindset during difficult seasons. Make a list of all the things you are thankful for. Start with just five things. Your list may look something like:
- God
- Family
- Friends
- Shelter
- Food
It doesn’t have to be extensive, but as you practice gratitude you will find more things to be thankful for.
“pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks…” –1 Thessalonians 5:17
Read the Word of God (Food)-After you have opened your heart to Him, open His word. You don’t have to read it cover to cover. Ask God to reveal Himself through His word. When you ask Him, He will show you.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”–Matthew 7:7
Pause (Patience)-This one is a hard one, but so important: pause. Find a quiet place and just be still in God’s presence.
“Be still, and know that I am God…” –Psalm 46:10
It’s in these moments we can really hear God speak to us. God’s timing is perfect.
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…”–Ecclesiastes 3:1
Just because we are in a hard season does not mean we cannot bloom. Every season, good or bad, has a purpose. Just like the plants that seem to die in the fall and winter, spring promises new life. As it is with us, our hard times are only temporary. With Christ comes the promise of new life.
Spring is Coming
If you are going through a harsh winter, just remember spring is coming. Soon you’ll break through the soil. No matter how dark the season seems, new life is always waiting on the other side. Embrace the promise of spring, and trust that in your own life, renewal is just around the corner. With the right amount of Sonlight, every season of hardship holds the potential for new growth.
Are you in a season of waiting? How can you grow through this time? Let me know how you are finding hope in hard times in the comments below. Thanks so much for reading!