Out of Winter, Spring

This piece was originally written on December 19, 2016, and has been lightly edited for clarity. It reflects a season of profound trial, marked by the near loss of my mother and the enduring reality of my son Joshua’s medical journey. The year prior, he had been diagnosed with a rare terminal neurodegenerative disease. During this period, he underwent complex spinal surgery followed by serious complications that required an additional hospitalization. I share this reflection not to revisit hardship, but to bear witness to the faithfulness of God in the midst of it.

The temperature outside is frigid, the ground cold, dead, and hard. December may conjure warm memories for many because of the holidays, but to me, this month marks a turning point. It brings the close of one of the most difficult years I have ever endured, especially as a mother and a daughter. Its days are short, and darkness seems always to be chasing the light from its precarious perch.

Yet winter’s slumber will soon give way to spring’s thaw and the inevitable newness of life. Should the coming year prove as heart-wrenching and demanding as this one has been, I will greet it with the same joyful hope: that our God is sovereign, and that whatever He ordains is right. Weariness may overtake me. Tears may salt my face. But to look upon the beautiful face of Christ is the only strength I need.

I hope for a calmer year, but if that hope conflicts with His will, then it is hope misplaced. Should He choose to wound me further still, I will cling to Him all the more.

I cannot fully express this truth: though tempests rage around me, I am safely sheltered in His bosom. The pain and the tears matter little if I remain in Him. There are dark days when everything overwhelms me, but just as quickly, I am reminded of His love, and it is enough.

Out of winter, spring comes. Not as a gentle change, but blustery, stormy, and cold still. Yet new life emerges from the dead ground. It holds fast as the weather thrashes it about. Its roots dig deeper. It drinks in the water of life.

What is adversity, if not the conditioning of the soul?

In darkness, the light shines brighter still. In adversity, I am made strong. Winter is the prelude to spring, and spring the forerunner of eternal summer. To whom can I complain? Surely not the Sovereign King who sets me dancing even in winter’s cold. Its chill nips at my soul, but my heart is warmed by the love of Christ.

Out of winter, spring emerges.
And I am content.

C. L. Stansberry

C. L. Stansberry is a Christian writer and blogger whose work spans fiction, poetry, essays, and theological reflection. She writes to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him beautiful and glorious in the eyes of the people.