Seasons...

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Recently I heard a song, an older song, that first had radio play when I was in college. It took me back. It begins with simple and beautiful piano with a female voice, then builds to a full orchestra, taking you through the four seasons. The song is called "Every Season" by Nichole Nordeman.

I never thought before about the order of her song, she begins with summer and ends with spring. Recently, though, I had a revelation regarding our spiritual growth.

We begin life in summer. We are in the prime of our youth, in fact, our culture adores and worships people mostly in their twenties.
After we turn thirty, our bodies begin to change. There's an appropriate alternative word for autumn, "Fall".
I've noticed my metabolism fall, my muscle tone in many areas is not as "lifted" as before, it has started to put up less of a fight with gravity, and yet, I'm actually happier than I was in my twenties.

You see, as we change from what the world worships and adores (external youth and beauty), even in the autumn season we look at the glorious colors of the trees in awe. Once those leaves are brown and fallen, however, the world tends to turn its back on the wintering deciduous trees.

What most of us know is that the life is inside the tree, not outside! As our outsides become less appealing to the world, our maturity in Christ and our transformation is deepening and growing, like our roots.
Colossians 3:3 "For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God."

For now, our real lives are hidden to the world. Our outer shells are indeed dying, and yet, it means that spring is going to happen! Just like a bulb under the ground, just like a blossom bud on an ugly spring bough, we are going to spring forth with such vigor, life, and beauty, that it blows away all around us that is cold and dark!
Colossians 3:4 "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

As I grow and mature and deepen who I am in Christ, as I press into who He purposed me to be, it is gradually growing less important to me who the world pressures me to be. It's as if the earthly chlorophyll needs to be drained from me as I feed from the roots up and transform in spring into somebody completely new!

My verse for now is Psalm 90:14. "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

If I truly am satisfied each day, I won't need anything more. (Especially all the anti-aging products available to me!!)

~Tammy