Emerging from the Winter Season

Note: This post was inspired by my divorce and emotional healing years ago. I hope it illustrates the choice we have whether to be bitter or better. Although the choice is ours, the Lord completes the process and provides the healing. It is truly astonishing what the Lord can accomplish in us when we allow it.

It has been a long, hard winter here in Oklahoma and in many other locations. The early blooming flowers are such a welcome sight. Usually when I first notice my early bloomers, the flower beds still have the old, dead vegetation and a carpet of old leaves. Then, I have the incentive to clear them out as I do not want the new growth hindered. Also, I can view two flower beds from my kitchen windows and it is difficult to see the new flowers appearing through the old vegetation, which is also unsightly.

We all have winter periods in our lives that sometimes last months or years, but spring always comes. Particularly when emerging from hurtful situations with other people, such as a divorce, it is best to take what we can learn out of the situation and go forward without dwelling on what has transpired. It reminds me of the flower beds - embrace the new season and get rid of the dead, useless, and unsightly stuff (our negative emotions, unforgiveness, bitterness) that may hinder us. Voltaire stated "Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us."

With the Lord's assistance during and emerging from a winter season is the cleanest way one can come through. By prayer and reading the Bible (I especially like the Psalms during difficult times), He will heal your hurts and wounds and clear out the unsightly stuff. While you may feel like a dead, dry, brittle flower, He will help you have the ability to bloom again.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on. . . Philippians 3:14 NIV

This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays at http://www.bloggerspirit.blogspot.com

Surviving Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day for some people is not pleasant. Advertisements abound strictly intended for couples. Much is made about romance on this day. Some couples feel pressured to give each other perfect gifts, due to the marketing blitz. If you are single and not in a relationship, or suffering from a broken heart, or are married, but are forgotten on this day, take heart. Look around and realize you are not a solitary figure in a boat - there are other passengers.

This day will be what you make of it. Appreciate all the loved ones around you and do something special for them. Life is very uncertain as we all hang by a fragile human thread. Our lives are made up of different seasons, some of the seasons seem to linger a while, but they will not always stay the same. Remember there is One who loves us with a great and enduring love and who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). One who is faithful (Psalm 57:10), unchanging, and unwavering in His love. One who binds up the heart of the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3)and who has vowed never to leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 NIV

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever. Psalm 100:5 NIV