Overwhelmed by the stresses of
life, I slumped at my kitchen
table, head resting on my arms.
The silence that surrounded me
was abruptly
shattered by a strong gust of
wind that shook the windowpanes.
I raised my head to stare
morosely at the dreary scene
outside the patio doors.
The bare branches of the trees,
framed by wintry skies, swayed
in the chill wind.
Lavender
and gray-hued clouds drifted out
of sight, as a crowd of birds,
in no hurry to reach their
destination or meet deadlines,
paused to perch o
n the tree limbs and sing a song
of joy. As I watched, a squirrel
scampered up the trunk of the
huge Maple, turned around, ran
down again and was gone.
The birds and the squirrel have no cares, concerns or worries. I am a bit
envious; my life at times is
complicated by those things I
have no control over.
I long to be as free as the
creatures I have been watching
from the stresses of life.
Carried by
the breeze, dead, brown leaves
chase each other across the
barren, frozen ground. Frosty
patches of snow still covers the
ground,
a remorseless reminder that
winter still has the earth in
its icy grip, unwilling to
relinquish its power. Upon
reflection, I realize the dismal
scene
before me is not unlike the bleakness I experience when suffering through
my own ‘winter of the soul.’
The
problems and difficult
situations of the past year had
left me reeling, unsure of how
to deal with it all. As a
result, depression was
attempting to
overpower me. Aware that once again I was in danger of succumbing to that
dread affliction, I realized
that I had several options of
dealing with it. I can
choose to give in to it, thus
opening the door for satan to
have an opportunity to oppress
my mind. I can pretend it does
not exist, therefore not
defeating
satan’s purpose, or I can go to the ONLY Source that has the proven
answers. I open my Bible to
Philippians 4:6-7 and read: "be
anxious for nothing
but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be known to
God, and the peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."
I go on
with a ‘woe is me’ sign to
Matthew 11:28 "come unto me, all
who are weary and heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." REST!
What a lovely
word! Whispering the word aloud
seems balm to my troubled soul.
Following that verse I read:
"take my yoke upon you, and
learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart; and my load
is light." If I am struggling
under my load, it is one of my
own making. Jesus tells me HIS
load is light. I must ask
God for wisdom in prioritizing
my life. He said in James 1:5
that if I lacked wisdom, to ask
Him and He will give it.
God
directs me to Isaiah 40:29 "God
gives strength to the weary and
He increases power to the one
who lacks might." When I am
weary and burdened
with the cares and concerns of
life, He invites me to cast all
my cares upon Him for He cares
for me. I am reminded in
Philippians 4:13 "I can do
all things through Christ who
strengthens me." The word All in
the Greek meaning ‘all good
things’.
Quickly I
search for the verse that
assures me that "the joy of the
Lord is my strength." (Nehemiah
8:10) How I need the Lord’s
strength today!
I need new strength for
overcoming, and He tells me If I
wait (hope) in the Lord I
will gain new strength, I
will mount up with wings as
eagles, I will run
and not be weary, I will walk and not faint. In essence, this verse
informs me I am permitted to
exchange my ineffective strength
for His! His strength
is mighty to the pulling down of strong holds, enabling me to cope with
all of life’s problems, and
stresses. As I read these
Scriptures, I can feel my
despondent feelings
disappearing, lifted by the
fresh wind of God’s Word.
It is with
a different perspective that I
glance once more at the wintry
scene displayed outside through
my window. I catch a glimpse of
the sun
peeking through the clouds,
melting the remaining ice-capped
snow, as the Son is melting the
frustration and despair that had
enclosed my being earlier.
I envision soaring over the
problems and difficulties of
life, shedding anxieties as I
go, much as the Eagle uses the
currents of the strong winds to
soar high
above the earth.
I am
delighted to see tiny green
stems of the first flowers of
the spring season pressing their
way through the frozen soil,
where they have lain dormant
during the cold winter months. A Robin glides to a stop on one of the
branches of the old Maple that
has seen many seasons come and
go, remaining
strong and steadfast, unbroken
in spite of the adverse
conditions it has endured. The
Robin’s song thrills my heart as
I remember, "Weeping may
endure for a night, but joy
comes in the morning." Spring
will arrive to vanquish the
frosty winter, bringing newness
of life and renewed hope.
As usual,
God’s Word had given me exactly
what I needed. I get up from my
chair refreshed in mind and
spirit. A phrase form the song,
"It is well with my soul" floods
my entire being. No, my
situation had not changed, but
I had changed. I praise
God with a thankful, contented
heart
for the life He has so graciously given me. God tells me in His Word: "As
thy days, so shall thy strength
be", and I can live with that!
Shirley
Miller
