Celebrating the Seasons of Life - Lesson Four Winter: Season of Waiting In spring we develop and pursue our dreams, in summer we work to fulfill our dreams, in autumn we see the fulfillment, and in winter we rest and prepare the approaching changes of a new season. Winter is a season of waiting. It is the time after all the success and achievement of previous seasons to look to God for the next season of our lives. It is a time to reflect and search our hearts for what God would have us do. This period of waiting and pondering and reflecting is very hard. It often comes during a storm in our life. During this tumultuous time we have the opportunity to devote ourselves to seeking God so that we can emerge to a new spring and begin a new cycle of the seasons. Esther s winter season came when she learned that the Jews might be killed if she did not take action. How did Queen Esther use her winter season for her good and God s glory? (Book of Esther) In the final lesson of this series we look at the winter time of our lives when we ask God to show us how to live in our purpose. We ask him so show us how to wait on him as we rest, reflect, and let go. We ask him to show us how to emerge from our own caves, our period of darkness, into a new life, a new spring. The winter season of waiting involves Rest Reflection Letting Go Emerging Rest Rest is a time set aside to enjoy God and the life he has given us. It is a time when we are set free from anything that keeps us bound up or maybe I should say wound up! For quality rest of our mind, body, and soul we need to experience quiet, something we don t often find in our other seasons. Jesus urges us to come to him, the Lord of Rest, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28 29).
In this passage we see that Jesus draws us to him so that he can carry for us the assaults of the world. When we feel weary, tired, put upon, frustrated, sad, and stressed, he is there to give us rest. He wants us to find time to just rest in him because he knows how we struggle on our own. Corrie ten Boom described this rest, Don t wrestle, just nestle. In this season of waiting, it s important to nestle into the arms of Christ. One of the great purposes of rest is to recharge us. If you are an introverted, taskoriented person, you may be drained from encounters with people throughout the week. You might find it relaxing and energizing to spend time alone. If you are an extroverted, people person, you may have spent all of your energy in doing task oriented, draining details. You will want to spend time building relationships. Your personality traits will give you clues about what refreshes your spirit. Remember to live in those strengths. Where do you go to find the peace and quiet that will allow you to fully experience rest? Reflect What can we learn from our spring, summer, and autumn seasons? We need to look inward and evaluate where we are in our journey. In the winter season we should create an intentional time to contemplate and reflect. Queen Esther prayed and reflected for three days as she fasted. As we reflect, we can consider the shifting seasons of our lives, the things that keep us from moving forward in our faith, and the issues that keep us from having full communion with our Heavenly Father. We can consider the aspects of our lives that have brought us our greatest joys and sense of fulfillment. Winter can bring a sense of awareness about unfinished business or fractured relationships. Poor relationships in the home, with friends, at work, at church, in the neighborhood, or with God keep us from experiencing God fully and enjoying blessings in our seasons. When strife enters, peace flees. We need to deal with unresolved conflicts in order to experience emotional peace and fully live in our purpose. Our winter season is a good time to consider forgiveness and reconciliation so that we can move into a new spring season with hope. If you have unfinished business or fractured relationships, what changes do you need to make during this winter season?
Whether or not we experienced abundance or disappointment in our seasons, we can ask ourselves the same questions: How am I growing in my faith, my personal life, my professional life, my relationships? Am I learning? Am I doing good works? Am I living a life of gratitude? What needs to change in my life? What am I willing to do to change? Is there an area of growth that has become stunted? What actions do you need to take in order to move forward? During this time of reflection we need to determine what things we should gather into our spiritual storehouse during the winter season. Make a list of things to put in your spiritual storehouse to help you become fruitful in all seasons. Consider the follow: Scripture affirmations Uplifting books Encouraging friends Support group Loving family members Praise music Devotional book Dedicated prayer time Positive thoughts Proactive plan to produce good fruit What things do you need to put in your spiritual storehouse in order to be fruitful in all seasons? Let Go Winter is the season of our life where change occurs and we need to let go of the old to make room for the new. In winter the leaves have fallen from the trees and we should decide what needs to fall away from our lives. The apostle Paul reminds us to put away old things.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 How do we know when we need to let go of things? If you feel stuck and find it hard to move forward and make progress, you might need to let go. When our skills are not adequate for the job, we may need to let go. When all of our victories are way back in the past, we may need to let go. When our thoughts are filled with worry and anxiety, we may need to let go. If we ve lost our passion and purpose for something, we need to let go. It s better to leave a current role and embrace a new season than to remain deep-rooted and have people resent us or remove us from their lives. Do you need to let go of the past? a job? a role? negative thoughts? negative emotions? negative actions? limiting beliefs? unhealthy relationships? lack of forgiveness? Failure to let go causes us to remain stuck in our lives and prevents us from moving forward in a positive way. We know as one season ends, another begins. God uses the seasons to help us grow. He wants us to let go or empty ourselves of anything that prevents us from moving forward in his purpose. As a way to focus on the idea of letting go, consider practicing a form of meditation called Palms Down/Palms Up. This practice helps you to re-collect or center down and is a process of emptying and filling. You let go and then ask God to fill you up. Place your palms down as an indication of your desire to turn over your concerns to God. Pray, Lord, I give you these 24 hours. I release my worry, my distractions, my fears, my frustration, my anger, my anxiety, my negativity. I give to you all that has become a barrier from experiencing real joy in you. And now release it surrender. Next, turn your palms up as a symbol of your desire to receive from the Lord. Pray, Lord, I would like to receive your divine love, a peace that passes all understanding, and a new awareness of your presence. I raise my palms up in order to receive your blessings. Amen. Emerge Jesus epitomizes the winter season as he reflects on his stages of life in John 17 (Read John 17). His earthly ministry was drawing to a close. He had relied on his Heavenly
Father as he began his work, labored hard, and saw the fruits of his labor in the transformed lives of his followers. In this prayer Jesus prayed for himself, his disciples, and future believers. He asked God to keep his followers safe. After saying this prayer, Jesus entered an olive garden and was betrayed by Judas thus entering a dark period of trial, betrayal, and death. But Jesus showed us how new life comes from the dark winter places. In the winter of his life Jesus entered the dark tomb after his death but rose the next morning to new life, a time of spring. The light of the resurrection followed the darkness of the tomb. Jesus showed us that there is hope that we too can move out of the dark place our tomb into new life. We too can emerge to new life. Are you in a tomb of darkness waiting to emerge to new life? Are you stuck in a waiting period when you are uncertain of your next season? Have you been evaluating your current season and waiting to move forward? There are ways to help you emerge to new life. Pray and search Scripture for God s wisdom. Surrender yourself. Make a full commitment to move forward. Gather a dream team of supporters. Contact mentors, peers, pastors, family members, counselors, or life coaches who can help you get to your next season. Take the first step. The first step leads people out of a tomb. Reflect and Respond Now that you have completed the seasons study, select a period of your life and trace the stages. 1. Describe the spring stage, the beginning of a new season. 2. How did you progress in the summer stage? 3. What were the achievements in the autumn stage? Or what prevented you from achievements? 4. Describe the winter period of waiting. How did you make the progression from winter into a new spring season?
5. Which season best describes your life right now? What steps do you need to take to live fully in your purpose during this season?