We may be deep into winter by now, but February sparks my anticipation for spring. We start off with our buddy Phil, over in Punxsutawney and the hopes that he doesn’t see his shadow. We also see the major league baseball teams head south to begin their spring training, and the Daytona 500 always signals to me that we are heading in the right direction. Whether you are a follower or not, these events bring a crack in the winter ice and give us hope that warm weather is just around the corner.

“The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created spring.” – Bernard Williams

We all have our favorite season. If I were to rank them in order of my personal preference, it would look something like this: #1–summer, #2–spring, #3–fall, then a very distant #4–winter. Where would the seasons rank in your list?

Interestingly, we can’t pick and choose our weather. Otherwise, it would be sunny with a high of 75 and a low of 55 year-round in my world. But, since that isn’t reality, we must learn to adapt to those days that do not meet to our approval.

Life is like that. Wouldn’t we all want our days to be filled with good health, happiness, and the people we love? Unfortunately, things do happen. It is in the challenging times that we must dig deep and find the will to persevere.

People of faith draw strength in their spiritual beliefs. In my experience within the Christian faith, I have found that God is as close as a prayer away when I face the darker times of life.

Have you ever considered the one line from the 23rd Psalm where it says, “…Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me…” (KJV)? God doesn’t promise that if we trust in Him, we won’t have troubles. What He does promise is that when we face the trials of life, He walks through them with us.

Look also at the words of Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (NIV). He helps us from within the troubles of life. He is not an outside observer.

My hope is that your faith will accompany you on your pathway through the troubled days and bring you joy for the journey. It may be winter now, but spring is coming!

Blessings,

Pastor Randy