LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Spiritual Winter
"Everything has its time, and everything under heaven has its hour" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Winter is a time of maximum cold; the scarcity of the sun's rays influences some vital processes in plants, such as germination, the appearance of flowers, the profusion of new leaves and fruiting. Therefore, this is not the time when a plant looks better, more radiant or more fruitful.
However, the roots of trees develop mainly during this time. And these roots serve to allow the plant to feed and hold firmly to the soil, giving it stability and a good foundation. Therefore, we can say that winter is a time of preparation for the trees, for during this time they strengthen their bases and nourish themselves for the time in which the winds will blow.
Believers also have to live through winters in our lives, periods without leaves, flowers or fruit. But in those times God works in our lives, making us stronger, firmer and more stable; He prepares us to be able to live adequately in future times. Therefore, the seasons of spiritual winter have aspects that please us and others that are not to our liking; but both are necessary, inevitable and imposed by God.
During these periods we look at other believers and feel the temptation to envy their radiant and striking spirituality. We feel that others are doing well and we are not. However, this is a time in which we grow and our faith develops, even if we are not aware of it. Therefore, let us be patient. It is not a time for leaves or fruit. It is simply a time for something else.
José Ramón Frontado