Not Again

Last Saturday we welcomed Spring. My outfit last Sunday was a bright dress and high-heeled sandals. Yesterday, it was a polo neck, a thick skirt, stockings, a coat and high-heeled boots. I was so disappointed to have to pull out my coat again, thank goodness I still had gas in my heater.

This shocking drop in temperatures and quick return to winter had me thinking. At times in life we get so excited walking into a new season, one that promises freshness and relaxation, a season that promises to give us a break, a few less things to worry about. But then all of a sudden, before we know it, we are quickly drawn back to where we were. We start experiencing the same problems and must deal with the same issues we did before.

What is discouraging and sometimes depressing about this reversal is not that we can’t handle it, it’s that we thought we were out of the woods. The issue is not that you have to do it again, it’s that you thought you’d never have to do it again. Some experiences are just that awful. They are so awful that at the first realization of what’s happening, you have a mini break down (yes, I hate winter so much to have thought all of this).

These flashbacks don’t always mean that we aren’t moving forward. At noon the sun’s temperature was high, it’s just that it was being opposed by the icy breeze. Trees still had their blossoms, and the grass was still greener even though covered in frost. So, these moments don’t mean you haven’t been making progress, they are not a forecast of the rest of your life. These moments just mean there’s still more to yesteryear’s struggles, that God still got some unused grace and unfinished business with that specific area of your life.

David had such a thing happen to him. In his youth, he killed a great enemy of their nation and so gained the attention of many in the land. He also gained the jealousy of the king, Saul, who pursued him, trying to kill him. For years David lived on the run. It wasn’t until Saul died that David caught a break; he could finally settle. All was well, he was king without contestation. Sometime later, his son Absalom killed Amnon, who was also David’s son. Absalom then fled Jerusalem. Upon his return, Absalom conspired against David to become king. As a result, David had to leave his palace and flee for his life. I’m sure David thought: “Oh no, not again.”

The Bible details how difficult this was for him.
“But David continued up the Mount of Olives weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up.”
2 Samuel 15:30
It was a tough thing for him to live through, worse this time because his son was behind it. He was totally degraded, he was walking around like a pauper in his own land. At a stage of his journey, Shimei cursed, threw stones at him and showered him with dirt.  It was in no way easier because he’d done it before, but he had to muster strength to get through it. He arranged his men into troops and fought back. He tried his best to protect his son in the process, but things didn’t go as he had planned. In the end he returned to his palace and life resumed.

So take heart, dear child, this is not the end. Your cancer might be back, you might be without a job again, you might have to redo the semester and yes, it might be harder this time around, but you got this. Remember that you can do all things through the strength Christ gives you. Lean in on Him and muster your troops and fight. You did it before, you can do it again. As for me, I’ll be pulling down the winter blankets from the closet I returned them too last week.
Stay blessed!