Lessons from a Cherry Blossom
This is one of my favourite times of the year, and for those like me who live in the Southern Hemisphere, you might relate.
Here in New Zealand, we are currently well into spring. There are many things I love about this time of year: the days are getting longer, the temperature (slowly) warmer, and, the thing I love most, signs of life start returning to creation. Leaves grow back on the trees, birds are out and about more, and we get to see displays of God’s artistic creativity.
One of my favourite examples of this is the cherry blossom. We are blessed because we have quite a few cherry blossoms in our neighbourhood. Just a few minutes down the road from our house there is a park with a line of them, and they look stunning right now as they are in full bloom. The times I have been there recently, many others have been enjoying them too, taking photos under the flowers, eating picnics in the shade of the trees and children laughing as they climbed the branches.
As I was looking at these cherry blossoms and admiring their beauty, I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of the fact that for the tree to produce those flowers, they first must endure the harsh winter season. The winter seasons are long, dark, dreary, and in those times a tree can even appear to be dead as they have no leaves and look dreary. But there is a critical work that goes on inside of the tree which prepares it for more fruitfulness in its life. And after this season is over they blossom and produce something so beautiful that people are drawn to it.
It is the same with our lives. Sometimes we endure ‘winter’ seasons, where life is hard, where we feel like we’re dying on the inside, like things are more than we can handle. They can be long, they can be overwhelming and they can be crushing. We can even at times feel like we are not going to make it through.
But, at the right time, God allows us to produce something that is beautiful and blesses many others as they see evidence of His goodness working in and through us. Romans 8 words it this way: “We have sufferings now, but these are nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to us.” (Romans 8:18 ERV) And there is also that often quoted sentence just a few verses later: “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan.” (Romans 8:28 ERV)
The winter seasons are needed to grow and strengthen us for what is to come in our lives – which is ultimately becoming more and more like Him (Romans 8:29). It prepares us to handle the calling He has on each of our lives. It keeps us focused on Him and it allows opportunities to see Him work in our lives in ways we might not see otherwise.
I really feel that many people have been enduring what has been a very long, cold and hard winter season, and they are pleading with God, wondering when this season will end. If that is you, I want to encourage you. As someone who understands, can I gently remind you that this too will pass, and perhaps it will pass sooner than you think. But, in order for the next season to be exactly what God wants it to be, perhaps there is an opportunity He is offering to you to let Him work in your life in ways that only He can to bring about incredible fruitfulness in your life.
When He reminds me of this, it makes it at least a little bit easier to endure the long winter seasons of life. And I hope and pray that it does for you too. He is there, He is with you, He will never leave you and He is working in you in incredible ways.