SEASONS OF THE SOUL

[Pearl]

It is natural that throughout our lives we will experience changes in our everyday moods, and just as there are distinct seasons in nature so there are also different seasons of the soul.

There are those lovely ‘summer’ days when we feel completely and inexplicably happy and alive; when all is well with the world and we are strong and vital, and there are the ‘autumnal’ days of mellow contentment and fruitfulness; of satisfaction and completeness,

The ‘spring’ days bring with them deep joy and a feeling of hope and expectation while the bitter-sweet days of ‘winter’ are days of quiet solitude, contemplation and rest; when we may feel naturally sad for no apparent reason.

All these different moods are necessary for our well-being and we should learn to embrace them all and let each emotion bring its own richness and variety to our lives. As we get older and more mature and are growing closer to God we may become more aware of these seasonal changes and look for the rich blessings in each.

God our Father is the one who has designed us to benefit from these changes in our emotions, giving us times of sunshine and of rain; of growth and rest; of cutting back and pruning. His is the hand who leads and guides us through these seasons of the soul, planting, nurturing, harvesting and resting our souls for his own purposes.

We need to learn to recognize these changes and accept them as easily as we accept the changes which occur in the natural world, and submit to them as part of the heavenly gardener’s plan for our own spiritual growth and the increased growth of his kingdom.

 

[Pearl]

Part 2

I’ve discovered over the years that if you are in the 'spring', 'summer' or 'autumn' seasons of the soul you are quite content but when you are going through 'winter' it is more difficult and you long for it to be over and back to 'spring' again.

Of course it is just like this during a real winter, especially during harsh ones like those we’ve had over the last few years. We long for new growth and the warmth of spring sunshine on our faces; to be able to cast off all those bulky garments and be free and light, but we get through by making changes to our living arrangements and it can be quite pleasant. We turn the heat up, pull the curtains and switch the lights on wrap up warm and eat different sorts of foods. We all have our own ways of getting through the cold days of winter.

And as in the natural, so in the supernatural; we must make adjustments.

Without the winter dormancy the trees wouldn’t be able to bring forth that fresh new growth that cheers us all so much; we wouldn’t appreciate the warmth of the sun with having experienced the freezing conditions of a bleak winter.

The best thing to do during the ‘winter’ season of the soul is to do what God told me when I was in a very ‘cold’ place and feeling far from him a couple of years ago, “Just be and let me”.

I listened to him, obeyed him, stopped worrying about it and soon the ‘sun’ came out again.

 

[farouk]

Part 2

I’ve discovered over the years that if you are in the 'spring', 'summer' or 'autumn' seasons of the soul you are quite content but when you are going through 'winter' it is more difficult and you long for it to be over and back to 'spring' again.

Of course it is just like this during a real winter, especially during harsh ones like those we’ve had over the last few years. We long for new growth and the warmth of spring sunshine on our faces; to be able to cast off all those bulky garments and be free and light, but we get through by making changes to our living arrangements and it can be quite pleasant. We turn the heat up, pull the curtains and switch the lights on wrap up warm and eat different sorts of foods. We all have our own ways of getting through the cold days of winter.

And as in the natural, so in the supernatural; we must make adjustments.

Without the winter dormancy the trees wouldn’t be able to bring forth that fresh new growth that cheers us all so much; we wouldn’t appreciate the warmth of the sun with having experienced the freezing conditions of a bleak winter.

The best thing to do during the ‘winter’ season of the soul is to do what God told me when I was in a very ‘cold’ place and feeling far from him a couple of years ago, “Just be and let me”.

I listened to him, obeyed him, stopped worrying about it and soon the ‘sun’ came out again.

This is why we must learn to feed prayerfully on the Scriptures throughout all our 'seasons'. :)

 

[farouk]

PS: @Pearl The Psalms are such a broad and deep expression of the many 'seasons' of human experience that the believer can passes through.

 

[farouk]

@Pearl FYI, Genesis 8.22 is also a very relevant verse: :)

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

 

[Helen]

Great posts.. @Pearl

Like you, God so often has to speak to me about "times and seasons"
But just like Canada..I so often find the "summer time" is very short, and winter is three times as long!!

But, how can we be overcomers if there is nothing to overcome.
We cannot be victorious without any battle.

Or as a friend of mine often says- " No guts no glory". :)