Psalm 1:3
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”
What happens in winter seasons: like a tree we sometimes feel stripped of our visible fruit. Our giftings are hidden; our abilities are underestimated. When previous successes fade and current efforts stall, we can easily mistake our fruitlessness for failure .
But such is the rhythm of life: new growth, fruitfulness, transition and rest. Abundance may make us feel more productive but perhaps emptiness has greater power to strengthen our souls. In spiritual winters our fullness is thinned so that, undistracted by our giftings, we can focus upon our character. In the absence of anything to measure we are left with nothing to stare except for our foundation. Like a tree planted by living water, we focus upon our primary responsibility: remaining in him.
The father’s work does not sleep though in spiritual winters he retracts all advertisement, and when he does so he is purifying our faith, strengthening our character, conserving our energy and preparing us for the future. *The sleepy days of winter hide us so that seductive days of summer will not ruin us.*