Hope Remains

We woke this morning to our "high" for the day...a balmy 39....and it has been a downhill slide ever since.  Winds are blowing the last of the leaf stragglers from the branches, sending them into yards that are not their own.  Gusts are producing single digit "feels like" wind chills.   Even the squirrels seem to be hidden away while gusts cause the branches to bend and sway.  All of nature is sending out a decree ~ Winter is on its way.

This is not a surprise, right?  We live in the Midwest, a place of four seasons.......where Winter arrives every year following the colorful beauty of Fall.  So we are prepared.  We brace for it, making sure that our snow blowers are in top operating condition.  We check to see that the snow shovels are in good shape and the furnace is running well.  We store the deck and porch furniture, and we hang Christmas lights way before Thanksgiving!  Yeah....no surprise.

Then there are the "life is what happens while you are making other plans" seasons that often take us by surprise.  A car accident, a medical report, a sudden death.  How can we prepare for those events in our life, the "winter seasons" that bring a cold wind into our hearts?

We prepare by staying strong in the Word.  We build a foundation for ourselves in the scriptures, prayer, and worship on a daily basis so that when a winter season comes we are able to be sustained in the hope that comes knowing our God and His promises.

Winter comes and winter goes whether in seasons or in life.  But hope remains.  Hope for Spring....hope for new life.   Yes, Hope remains.