By Kathia Diaz

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing,…..Ecclesiastics 3:1-22

It’s December 22^nd, 2011 the first day of winter.  Winter is here and boy is it cold.  It’s time to take out the coats, long johns, and drink hot cocoa.  I live inNorth Texas and it can get in the single digits and we also get snow.  It’s  the toughest time of the year for us as we are just getting used to living in a state  that has four seasons.  Moving fromFlorida just 2 years ago, we came toTexas during the winter season.  Boy were things different.  The trees were naked, the streets were iced.  We finally got to see snow fall and then came the bitter cold days and days where my kids had to miss school due to freezing weather and ice on the roads.  Oh did we miss theSunshineState.  But we came to love winters.   My kids can’t wait for snow to fall and “ice skate” on our streets. 

As this time nears the Lord has reminded me of my seasons.  Spiritually I am currently in the spring season.  I serve with Mpact girls at my church and I’m really enjoying how the Lord is using me. But it hasn’t been like that all the time.  You see there was a time where spiritually I was in the winter season.  I couldn’t serve where I wanted due to my son not accepting being in the nursery.  I would cry out to the Lord to comfort my son so I could serve.  Oh how I yearned to begin serving with Mpact girls at the church I was attending inFlorida.  I so wished to bring my ideas and make a change with the girls.  One day the leader told me that it was not my season, one day it will be my season but to enjoy my current season because the Lord has many things planned for every season in my life. 

I now see how the Lord used that “season” to really show me who He was.  So I could understand that it is him who blankets his arms and keeps my spirit warm.  My little boy needed me and soon I would find out he had a disability.  The Lord prepared me for a long wintry season of grief and knew I would need him in that time. My winter season lasted a little over a year.  Every moment of it I could feel the Lord just wrapping his arms around me and giving me warmth.  As I transitioned from my winter to spring, I felt the Lord’s arms continuously wrapped around me just reassuring me through it all that HE is there. 

So whatever your season is, just feel the blanket of the Lord over you.  It is HE who comforts you in the times of winter.  It is HE who breathes air into your soul .  Feel Him as your season  change.  We will have them all, but how wonderful it is to have our Father right next to us giving us the love and comfort we need. 

And as always remember to Just Breathe through each season!

Reflection Corner:

1)      What’s your  spiritual season?

2)      Can you remember a season of winter and how did the Lord help you through it?

3)      Can you remember a season of spring and what was your harvest?