In a way, winter is the real spring, the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature.”
-Edna O’Brien (Irish Novelist)

I don’t do winter.  I may have mentioned that a time or twelve.

Winter, particularly, brings out my inner philosopher.  No one likes my inner philosopher.  Especially not me!

I begin asking questions like “Why, specifically, am I here on this earth, Lord?”

Each time that question pops into my mind, I end up having a conversation with myself that’s 5 kinds of crazy. It usually goes a little something like this:

Me: “Why are you struggling so hard to make sense of It All?”

Well, me again, I guess: “Because I want to understand why I’m here. I want to make sure I’m doing what I’m meant to do.”

I get to thinking about that intersection of Faith and Follow. It’s sometimes blaring with so much traffic, that it’s no wonder we get directionally confused. Or worse, forget that I have to wait for the light to turn green before moving forward. And the longer I live on this earth, the more convinced I am that when I’m not sure which direction to go in, there’s really only one help for it.

Patience. Especially when it feels like winter in my soul.

Because:

“There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.”

Philippians 1:6 (The Message)

And if I’ll just practice some more patience, and keep trusting, then what’s inside, will indeed spring forth.