Dear Cobham Park Church Family,
I have a close friend whose work takes him abroad for years at a time. He’s spent much of the last decade in the tropics of southeast Asia. I once asked this man what he missed about Virginia, and he answered without hesitation: “I miss the change of seasons most of all. It may be beautiful and warm here, but every day feels pretty much the same.” What’s your favorite season? I find myself preferring whatever season I’m currently in, since each has unique pleasures. Spring brings an explosion of verdant life. Summer’s humid heat brings long days that are packed with activity. Fall’s vivid reds and golds spread through the treetops. Winter’s whispering snows blanket the landscape in purest white. Each season, however, also has unique annoyances. Spring can’t make up her mind between a coat or a teeshirt. Summer bugs…well, enough said. It’s a bother to rake fall leaves. Like a rude houseguest, Winter habitually overstays his welcome.
In her college years, my wife Tammy was troubled by the loss of her former sense of closeness with God. After much prayerful soul-searching, she couldn’t pinpoint the reason for this change. She finally sought advice from her pastor in Spotsylvania, and his counsel was memorable. He encouraged Tammy not to be afraid, as a believer’s walk with Jesus goes through seasonal change much like Virginia weather. Seasons of the heart aren’t always predictable or orderly, but they visit us all.
After trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we Christians often expect that spiritual encouragements will steadily continue. If we encounter a cold snap in our relationship with God, we assume that something must be wrong. It is true that a Christian can expect such a downturn if he or she refuses to deal with sin, neglects the Lord, or is somehow distracted from Him. Sometimes, however, there is no obvious reason for feelings of distance. After ruling out other possible causes, remember that all Christians go through seasons of the soul. Spiritual springtime thaws our hearts and excites us with powerful experiences of God’s new life. At other times, we’re blessed with long summer-like growing seasons where we make great strides in learning about Jesus. Spiritual autumn periodically slows our pace, and it becomes more difficult to feel God’s warm presence. Finally, spiritual winter can make faith feel dead and hopeless. In such “dark nights of the soul,” we begin to wonder if God’s encouragement will ever return—until revival finally melts our frozen hearts. We then realize that God was with us all the time!
Each spiritual season is essential for life. Without the sleep of winter, summer’s growth would be stunted. Without the warmth of spring, starvation would be inevitable. Where are you right now in your life with Jesus? What led you to this spiritual season? How can you be faithful to God at this time? Each spiritual season has its own annoyances—and wonders!
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
—Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)
In His Love,
Pastor Keith
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