Maturing in a Godly Manner with gratitude and grace. Enduring the last cold months of winter without despair!

Winter doesn’t seem so bad if you can spend your time in Sunny Florida.  If you can't make it there, you can sit in a recliner beside a roaring fire in the fireplace and have no urgent outside errands that would require you to drive there on icy roads.  However, even a short walk to your curbside mail box can be dangerous if the pathway to get there is very slippery.

How can one be content in the dark days of late winter? It  helps to concentrate on the fact that November, December, January and now February have come and gone.  And, if according to our weather forecasters, or a groundhog, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, winter is on its way out for this year at least.  This is my 91st winter and I have never seen a year when we have not been rewarded by April Showers bringing in May flowers.  And believe it or not, with no help from a specific rodent nor an all knowing weather forecaster!  Why is it so hard for most people to give God the credit He deserves for the change of seasons?

The year I moved back to Ohio from the sunny South, 141 inches of snow fell to the ground that winter.  What a welcome back home!  Maybe this winter hasn’t been so bad after all.

Matthew 24:20  And Jesus said to His disciples,“And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”  

Song of Solomon 2:11, 12 – “For lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.  The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing is come, And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” 

Weather was also a factor when Jesus walked on this earth. Can you imagine living in those times without all of the perks we have?  No snow blowers,  nor plows to clear the way.  We probably need to get out our shovels and start to work without whining.  God has put all of the seasons in place and we need to accept that fact with love and grace.  Let’s face the facts that one future day in eternity we will live in a perfect environment.  But as you look around you will realize that “We are not there yet.”

Praise the Lord for all of His many blessings to us,

Even as we endure walking in the snow and slush.

 Spring will come as it always does,

And we can again put away our coats, boots and gloves.

Summer will follow with warmth from the sun,

Paul’s advice in Phil. 4:11-13 should be followed by everyone.

Philippians 4:11-13 – “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both  to abound and to suffer need.  Result: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  

God is our protector and provider, so we can relax and go wherever He leads us.

Thank you for reading this,

Great Granny Witt