Right now the weather is changing and cold is setting in. The trees are dropping their leaves, the flowers dying, the birds leaving, the animals hibernating and we’re spending more time indoors due to dark, rainy days. We are going into another death pattern descending into the lifeless cold of winter.

This happens every year. The world dies and is resurrected again in a predictable pattern, going from the full life of summer, to the preparation of death in fall, to the actual death of winter, back to the first signs of budding life in spring where the daffodils poke their heads up heralding the full gardens of flowers to come in the complete resurrection of summer. We do this every year, and spring always follows winter. This happens due to a good God who is over all. But in the lifeless cold of winter, it can seem that it will never end. But it does. It always does for the Christian who has the Lord Jesus who represents the height of death and resurrection. Since this is His pattern, we can grab onto the hope that is to come after winter. We can look forward to the glory of the full gardens of flowers and birds, and warm, sunny days.

But, if you are in a winter now, consider this verse:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts…” (Eccl. 3:11)

Though the actual death process is a time of mourning for what is being taken away, God has made each stage beautiful in His own way. In fall, when the death process starts, God has given us the beautiful colors of fall, and the crisp cold days, with apple cider, and walking in the fallen leaves. And in the death of winter, God has given us the snow to beautify everything from the trees down to the garbage cans sitting on the street corner. In the turning of the seasons, where the weather lingers cold and wet, we get the first sign of the spring bulbs popping up, that will continue to come until there is a riot of color all over heralding the arrival of summer, with the warm sunshine, the beautiful days and full gardens. God crowns each stage with His beauty to give us hope and show who He is. But sometimes, in the midst of winter, you have to train your eyes to look for it.

Consider these death patterns capped with beauty:

• Praying to God in your need and seeing Him answer.
• Having a severe physical ailment and being ministered to by the love of the saints.
• If there is no one to minister, then being touched by the presence of God ministering to His hurting child.
• Enduring the harshness of labor, then giving birth to a much anticipated child.
• Suffering at the end of your life, then waking up in the full glory of heaven to spend an eternity with the One who has lead you so lovingly in life.

That is our God. Let us ever be mindful of His ways and rest our hope there.