Where’s My Spring?

The calendar says it is spring.  The icy wind and cold temperatures beg to differ.  It is the end of March and the temperature yesterday in PA was 16 degrees with the wind chill.  I spent the afternoon dodging snow squalls that left their white mark on the grass and sides of the road.  My heart is crying out for spring.  For consistent sunshine.  For warmth on my face.  For the chance to finally pack away my sweaters and release my cute spring wardrobe on the world!

The trees are still bare.  The ground is covered in dead leaves.  For many of us, this time of year can feel depressing.  But even in this period of “in between” the sun does shine.  Daffodils push their hardy stems up through the cold ground. And I am reminded that God’s Son is shining in every season and in every “in between.”

We face winter seasons in our lives. Some of us may be in one now.  We are craving warmth and the opportunity to break free from the cold.  But what if the winter season is the very thing we need to rest in the work God is doing in us?  What if it keeps us from damaging ourselves and the plans God has for us?  If we decide not to rest in the silent moments, listening for the whisper of God, we may choose an outcome that isn’t from God. Or we may take a path not intended by Him.  We may need this season of winter to draw us closer to God; to trust Him with our future, even when it makes no sense to us.  Maybe our winter season is needed to show others the grace, mercy, and healing power of Jesus.

I love the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-43).  Lazarus was one of Jesus’ closest friends. So of course, when Lazarus became ill, his sisters (Mary and Martha) sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”   You would think that Jesus would have dropped everything to go help his dear friend.  But Jesus waited two days before making the two-day trip from across the Jordan to Bethany.  Can you imagine how Mary and Martha felt?  I suspect they felt like they were in a very cold, winter season as they waited for Jesus to come.  And I suspect they felt hopeless when Jesus arrived after Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days.

When Mary met Jesus that day, she was grieving and weeping over her brother’s death. This brings us to the shortest verse in the Bible – John 11:35: “Jesus wept.” Jesus wasn’t crying over Lazarus; He knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead.  He knew the plans God had for a miracle. Jesus was more likely moved by Mary’s grief.  Jesus loved Mary.  Jesus loves us.  In our winter seasons, He loves us.  He may weep with us.  But He doesn’t weep for us, because He knows the truth – we will not only survive, but we will rise up.

Do you know why Jesus waited four days to raise Lazarus?  Jesus had two previous occasions where He brought dead people back to life; Darius daughter in Mark 5:35-43 and the widow of Nain’s son in Luke 7:11-17.  But in these cases, the person had only been dead for a short time, one day or less. The  Pharisees said they were only ‘sleeping’ or in a coma and were not really dead.  Therefore, they planted doubt that Jesus had performed a miracle.

Most significantly, however, is the Jewish tradition and teaching that a dead person’s spirit remains over the body for a period of three days after death and then departs.  People would likely have lost all hope that a person could be revived once their soul departed.  Jesus arrived four days after burial, not three, to remove any doubt.  He wasn’t just a healer as the Pharisees claimed.  He was THE healer.  There would be no way to refute this miracle and no way to deny the power of God.

There are times when we feel like Mary.  That the loss, grief, anxiety, fear, stress, perfectionism will never be lifted.  That the weight of the winter will overwhelm us.  It is in these seasons that we need to remember that God’s timing is perfect.  We will likely always wish for quicker answers and relief.  We will likely prefer the warmth and hope of the spring seasons.  But trust that there is a reason He is waiting. 

And in the waiting, you have a choice.  Will you become impatient and force an outcome that leads you down a path away from God’s amazing plan for you?   Or will you trust God to move in His time, for His purpose, for His glory, and to demonstrate His immense and unfathomable love for you?

In the winter seasons, I love nothing more than a warm fire, a snuggly blanket, and time with my family.   In those winter seasons of life, might I suggest you wrap yourself in the warmth of the Word of God, warmed by the fire of his love, and find comfort in the arms of your Father.  Because your winter may be exactly what you need to explode in splendor.  And, sometimes, the best gifts come in the quiet waiting.