Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. In some places on our earth there isn't much of a change in those seasons, but where I live, each one has its definite time. My favourite season is spring. I love when everything becomes green again and the flowers bloom once more. However, in order to truly appreciate the newness of spring, we need to experience the deadness of winter. So it is with life. We, as human beings, cannot continually experience the mountain top experiences of Joy without experiencing the Death Valley experiences,as well.
This new beginning that God has blessed me with this past year, brought with it an unexpected season of sadness in the past month or so. Christmas in our home has had a number of traditions that my daughter and I have built over the years; traditions that did not take place this year . The sadness this brought was compounded by too much time off work to dwell on what didn't happen over the holidays. I have not felt this depth of sadness in a very long time.
Today, however, I can tell you that the sadness is gone. I was so "me" focused that I forgot it isn't about me. Life does not exist just for my happiness. We are all here to work together; to help each other through the difficulties of life; to hold each other up when our friends cannot make it on their own; to reflect God's love to the world.
Second Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
Today I am smiling again. Tomorrow I will be able to empathize with the person who is sad because of life's changes. Tomorrow I will be able to listen and to encourage. To me, that is worth the sadness of yesterday.
But I do have some great news.... only 70 days from today, and spring will officially arrive. When that day arrives, I will really be smiling!
