Brittle
Brittle. Broken. Dead.
These were the thoughts that overwhelmed my mind as I drove down a tree-lined country road early one morning not long ago. There were thick gray clouds above and all around me. It was bitterly cold, and the heaviness of a long January and winter consumed my thoughts as I traveled down a treacherous spiral - not just the winding road I was on, but something deeper within me. Everywhere I looked, I saw gray and brown, devoid of color and life. The brittle, lifeless trees and vegetation appeared as though they would snap at the faintest pressure applied.
I felt the Lord stirring in my soul.
This is not a season to fear or hide.
I’ve been longing for a summer season, or at the very least, a hint of spring. Winter seasons, whether we are talking about on the earth or a spiritual season, can be a difficult time to walk out. For me, the lack of daylight, the dreary overcast days, and bleak landscape create a sense of abandonment in my soul. I feel forgotten. I wonder how long the winter will last and begin to lose hope that the longer sunlit-filled days are right around the corner. Like the trees, I become brittle, broken, and if I’m being completely honest, dead inside.
I kept pressing in and found hope.
A winter season is not punishment, or abandonment. It’s a season to rest and prepare for the next season. It’s where I can allow the Holy Spirit to restore my brittle and broken pieces into a stronger fortified foundation, built on faith, trust, and the unwavering love of God, so that I may step into the next season with renewed strength and purpose.
"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." - Romans 5:3-5
What does your winter season look like, and how do you lean into God during this season? What are some ways you can trust Him when things in your life feel brittle, broken, and dead?
PRAYER: Father, in this season of stillness, remind me I am not abandoned or forgotten but being restored. When I feel brittle and broken, renew my spirit and strengthen my faith. Help me trust that, just as spring follows winter, You are preparing me for what’s ahead. Thank You for Your unfailing love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
These were the thoughts that overwhelmed my mind as I drove down a tree-lined country road early one morning not long ago. There were thick gray clouds above and all around me. It was bitterly cold, and the heaviness of a long January and winter consumed my thoughts as I traveled down a treacherous spiral - not just the winding road I was on, but something deeper within me. Everywhere I looked, I saw gray and brown, devoid of color and life. The brittle, lifeless trees and vegetation appeared as though they would snap at the faintest pressure applied.
I felt the Lord stirring in my soul.
This is not a season to fear or hide.
I’ve been longing for a summer season, or at the very least, a hint of spring. Winter seasons, whether we are talking about on the earth or a spiritual season, can be a difficult time to walk out. For me, the lack of daylight, the dreary overcast days, and bleak landscape create a sense of abandonment in my soul. I feel forgotten. I wonder how long the winter will last and begin to lose hope that the longer sunlit-filled days are right around the corner. Like the trees, I become brittle, broken, and if I’m being completely honest, dead inside.
I kept pressing in and found hope.
A winter season is not punishment, or abandonment. It’s a season to rest and prepare for the next season. It’s where I can allow the Holy Spirit to restore my brittle and broken pieces into a stronger fortified foundation, built on faith, trust, and the unwavering love of God, so that I may step into the next season with renewed strength and purpose.
"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." - Romans 5:3-5
What does your winter season look like, and how do you lean into God during this season? What are some ways you can trust Him when things in your life feel brittle, broken, and dead?
PRAYER: Father, in this season of stillness, remind me I am not abandoned or forgotten but being restored. When I feel brittle and broken, renew my spirit and strengthen my faith. Help me trust that, just as spring follows winter, You are preparing me for what’s ahead. Thank You for Your unfailing love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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3 Comments
Well spoken
This was very personal to me and hit home. As I continued to read, I received more hope – not just for today but for the days to come.
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nMy life has been in turmoil lately, like the gray and brown, devoid of color and lifeless trees and vegetation. I've struggled to see the sunlight through the darkness, the hope through the lifelessness that has enveloped my body, mind, and soul. And as eloquently told, "Like the trees, I become brittle, broken, and if I'm being completely honest, dead inside." I, too, can relate.
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nI keep pressing forward because of my faith – my faith not in the broken shell of a depressed person I am today, but faith that God and His church can heal me and help me heal myself through the fellowship I am so longing for.
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nIt is a time of reflection on the changes I want and need to make. Although I know what to do, I often get stuck. I sometimes lack motivation, energy, and the ability to put one foot in front of the other. Knowing that God has not abandoned me gives me hope, yet I shy away from His glory because I am ashamed of not doing more, not being better, not reaching out.
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nThis is the time to allow myself some forgiveness on my part… forgive myself. This is the season to allow the Holy Spirit to heal my broken soul, mind, and body and to let others into my life so that the brokenness can be healed, the spirit restored, the relationships mended, and new ones to spring forth. Thankfully, I know in my heart that the unwavering love of God will help me get through this, especially with the help of the fellowship of His church.
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nI felt so inspired when I read Romans 5:3-5, "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us," It's one of my favorite verses. I am eager and happy to share it with others. I should share these blessings with myself with loving kindness because God does have beautiful plans for me… "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." – Jeremiah 29:11.
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nMy faith in God's love will show me how to allow myself some reprieve, forgiveness, and love, and through this process, I know I will continue to receive God's grace and blessings.
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nIt is time for my season of despair to spring forth new life! I know that when all else fails, God's grace is sufficient. "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9 - 9
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nThank you for allowing me to share my thoughts and for sharing this beautiful message!
I'm so glad you found hope in this message, it came from a raw but honest place in my spirit. Keep pressing in, I love the all the scriptures you referenced.