In my neck of Missouri, we have a saying, If you don’t like the weather, don’t worry; it will be changing tomorrow.
You can probably tell because in this college town you often catch students wearing shorts with their sandals and socks on snow days.
My favorite part of living in Ozark Mountain Country is the color of fall—but not mid-fall. You know that part of fall when the orange and red are just at the top of the trees, and when the sun hits, you see that red burst next to the green topped by the blast of a blue sky—just. right. there.
But then, weeks later those leaves lose their sunlit ambiance in crinkled dead patches on the ground, and I’m just thinking to myself, “Someone’s going to have to clean that up.”
Ahhh, in winter when the snow is lightly falling, and you can imagine taking a horse-drawn sleigh through the field reminiscent of Anne Shirley’s Avonlea.
Fast forward a month later, and you’re angry to see the dirty slush icebergs still covering all the good spaces in the Walmart parking lot.
“Spring, why do those big green leaves have to steal your purple blossoms from my yard? COME ON!”
Do you know what I love about seasons?
They change.
Do you know what I hate about seasons?
They change.
But the biggest blessings in our lives often come in the middle of seasons when we lose our footing or times of complete stuck. Seasons where we have no other choice but to “pray a prayer of endurance.” Because God knows it’s completely out of our hands.
It’s kind of like the season that brought my part of the country the Infamous Ice Storm of 2007. Most of the people in the city and surrounding area, like us, were without power for at least 14 days. We were suddenly facing something “we didn’t sign up for.”
I didn’t expect our behemoth of an oak tree to come crashing down and take every tree in my garden with it. It created huge craters in my backyard and for a good four years we couldn’t walk around back there for fear of breaking our ankles.
However, one of my greatest treasures came out of the Ice Storm of 2007—and that is is our beautiful Penelope Grace. Cause goodness knows crazy things happen in the struggle for survival.
Her name Penelope Grace: meaning “Weaver/Faithful” Grace. That is just what she is to us, a sign of God’s faithful hold wrapped in grace which is our weather resistant shelter in all seasons—that is our constant above all circumstance.(Be sure to take some time to check out Isaiah 25:4.)
May this issue of Leading Hearts give you encouragement in whatever season you find yourself and help you delight in the Lord’s faithful love and presence which never “leaves,” even when the trees change clothes.
