Dispelling the Winter Blues
Along with many others, I have been guilty this last couple of months of complaining about the constant rain and miserable dull weather. I must admit that it has often been difficult to ‘rejoice and be glad’ in the day that God has made. (Ps 118:24). So, I decided to try and cheer myself up by thinking about some of the positive things I have learned from recent experiences.
When walking in the rain and damp I began to notice things I wouldn’t have noticed had the sun been shining. The green of the moss and of the ferns shone brighter, the various patterns on the bark of the trees stood out more and the branches of the trees were reflected in the puddles. In a similar way, maybe we should train ourselves to think about the positives that God brings into our lives in the difficult times. I find that just taking a few minutes at the end of each day to think of things I can thank God for is a helpful exercise.
When deciding where to walk recently I have chosen to stick to the hard top paths that I know will not lead to me sinking into the mud. Even if there are puddles to negotiate, the path surface is hard. This led to me thinking that at whatever stage of life we may be at, we need to be careful that we choose places to go, things to be involved with, friends to spend time with that will encourage us to continue to be faithful in our Christian walk.
Before going for a walk these weeks I have always made sure that I am wearing suitable clothes – ones that keep the rain off, keep me warm and keep my feet dry. This reminds me that to keep us standing strong as Christians we need to be clothed with what the apostle Paul calls the full armour of God, which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the footwear ready to spread the gospel of peace. (Eph 6:10-15)
The walks I have enjoyed most these last weeks have been those when I have been accompanied by a group of people ready and willing to enjoy themselves despite the weather. We were able to laugh together at the array of brightly coloured umbrellas, sympathise with each other when stepping off the path into the mud and encourage one another when the rain came down even harder. When we go through hard times as Christians we need the support and encouragement of others. This is a responsibility of all of us as members of the church family both to find encouragement for ourselves and to be a support to others.
Mary Breeze