Seasons

It has been a long hard winter for us Texans!  A normal Texas winter has a handful of curl-up-by-the-fireplace days in between an equal number of sunny days that are warm enough to get the fishing gear out and wonder where winter went.  Then, on a great year, there might have been a day or two of beautiful snow to show us the true gem of winter.  All in all, most of those winter days were sunny.  But this year....oh this year....the sun and the moon, made only a few rare appearances.  The icy chill was relentless and the rain and drizzle made us all vow to never move north of the Mason Dixon line. 

Today as I awoke wondering about the weather, my Bible reading lead me to Genesis about the life of Joseph.  In my opinion, it is by far one of the best Bible stories!  As I was reading, I realized just how long it was that he suffered in prison in Egypt. The way I read it, it looked like around 15 years.  He didn’t spring the joint until the age of 30.  Such a long season in a young life!  But how sweet that freedom must have felt when he finally was out.  And how much wisdom he learned while in prison!  He emerged no longer a brash braggart but pointing to God as his guide and rescuer. His spring had to be so much sweeter after this long stretch of his life in prison. 

So my point is this. Spring is coming, regardless of whether this phrase is understood figuratively or literally.  And it will be so much sweeter after a grueling winter.  Just as seasons seem to change overnight, so will this one.  But remember, just as we get used to the spring, winter will rear it’s ugly head periodically.  Yet each appearance will be further apart until, like a lizard, we are laying on a warm rock in the sun without a care in the world, soaking up that warmth.