Rest

The winter season is a time of rest. Many animals go into hibernation to rest for the winter, while the storms of life howl past them. The cold wet weather causes us to draw back inside while we strike up a cozy fireplace and sip hot cocoa. There are benefits and drawbacks to this time of rest. We either use this time to focus on the home and enjoy the winter holidays or we isolate ourselves from the world around us. The winter months make it difficult to keep up with our local friends just as

storms in friendships causes us to lose sight of friendly communication. We need to be on guard to protect our friendships during these troublesome times.

The most common strategy a Christian attempts to initiate when a storm pours down is to isolate. Isolation causes bitterness to take root and hibernate in our hearts. The interesting thing is that even during hibernation, growth occurs. A hibernating bear does not cease from growing during the winter months, try to disturb their sleep and you’ll have an angry bear coming after you. We must resist the urge to isolate.

This is where the enemy likes to take his place. The enemy of the heart is like a dragon who wants to creep into your heart while you’re in isolation and dig his talons deep into your hearts and continue to twist that pain deeper into your chest. Keeping yourself in that cold and bitter place can cause ‘frostbite’, which is bitterness. We need to stoke up the fireplace and thaw out. Wrap yourself in the warm embrace of the ‘most comforting blanket’ you have and gather around the ‘glowing fire’. Keep your heart warm by the love of Christ our Lord. The best way to avoid bitterness is to pray for the friend who hurt you. 

We are told by our Lord that love covers a multitude of sins. His sacrificial love is what it takes to keep the heart warm while a cold winter storm is raging. We may think that isolating ourselves in the basement and boarding up the windows to avoid the storm will keep us safe, but that’s not entirely true. I do agree that sometimes injured friendships needs some breathing room. Sometimes a little time apart can do some good, but I don’t recommend we stay there. There comes a time when
sharing some ‘hot cocoa’ can help break the ice again.

The warm mixture of sugar, cream, and chocolate, topped with whipped cream and marshmallows can add a sweet delightful taste to a cold heart. In Proverbs we learn that “..a gift in secret pacifieth anger…” This means to offer a gift without bragging to everyone else that you’ve done that. Let it be between you and the friend. The gift may not always be accepted at first, but keep it before our Lord in prayer and commit the friendship to Him.

He will do his work in their heart and keep your heart protected from the cold bitterness that seeks to destroy the love of Christ within you. The frost that builds upon a cold heart will begin to thaw when we allow His love and warmth to embrace us and we need to embrace Him right back.

-Lisa

Change

Autumn is a season that brings change and each friendship has it’s Autumn. 

Where there was once a bountiful tree full of vivid green leaves, there now are limbs swaying in the wind with a new variety of vibrant colors. These beautiful colors that God paints on each and every tree throughout the world are what makes life worth gazing at. I love each yellow, gold, red, pink, burgundy and green tree all on their own and in the midst of a gorgeous hillside of splendor. Yet as we travel down the road of life we see different trees and different colors along the way.

Every bend in the road introduces a new breathtaking view. If we lived in a world filled with Evergreen trees, we would never experience the beauty of a Japanese Maple. If every tree was a Japanese Maple, we’d never enjoy the fragrance of the Cherry tree’s blossoms. Each tree on it’s own has a gift that it’s boughs bestow upon us in it’s due season. How dreary this world would be without the Apple tree. Each one is so unique and we can not live with only one, if we could God would

have left out all the many varieties we have today. 

Just as He has a purpose for every tree on this gift he gave us called Earth, He also has a purpose for each and every friendship he brings along our path to walk with us. Imagine if we decided to stop on the road of life to enjoy just one tree. We would not be able to come in contact with the many other

beautiful trees God has created. I can’t imagine living my whole life and never seeing a Grand Oak tree or a Vermont Maple tree in Autumn. I certainly don’t want to imagine a life where I never got to taste authentic Maple syrup on my pancakes. Stopping along the way, to never continue down the road, limits our exposure to the other gifts God has waiting for us. Each tree has it’s own unique gift to this world, as does each friend. He’ll cross your path with the friend with large leaves to provide shade in the summer, another with fruit to provide nutrition, and sometimes a tree stump to give us a place to rest on a long journey. 

Not one tree is more important than another, each one has it’s time and purpose in our lives. The view along the way is gorgeous. Enjoy the view, but don’t forget there are other beautiful trees waiting to be discovered just around the bend. Keep focused on the road ahead of you, never take your eyes off of Jesus Christ. He is the road we follow and He will give you the trees you

need in this life, at his divine appointed time. Thank Him for each one and yield to Him if or when he decides to move you, or them, along when He so chooses.

~Lisa