{"id":1784,"date":"2012-09-28T14:24:42","date_gmt":"2012-09-28T18:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/smalltownamerica\/?p=1784"},"modified":"2012-09-27T21:36:47","modified_gmt":"2012-09-28T01:36:47","slug":"not-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/smalltownamerica\/2012\/09\/not-ready.html","title":{"rendered":"Not Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I look outside at the trees with their leaves turning red,orange, and yellow; I just want to cry.\u00a0 I am so NOT ready for winter.\u00a0 I want the flowers to keep blooming and the sun to keep warming my face.\u00a0 I want to go swimming and play with the children in the sand.\u00a0 I want to go to the zoo and sleep outside in a tent.\u00a0 I want to run barefoot through the grass and catch lightening bugs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I could go on and on about the joys of summer, but it is now fall.\u00a0 The air is chilly.\u00a0 The flowers are going to bed for the winter and my bare feet are getting cold.\u00a0 We will have our first frost soon and then the temperatures will really drop.\u00a0 I think I want to move to Florida.<\/p>\n

The Bible speaks in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, about their being a time for all things.\u00a0 All things on earth has a special season.\u00a0 That is also true of our Christian walk.\u00a0 Sometimes we are in a ”\u00a0summer season” and all is well.\u00a0 We are happy and content; moving on with Jesus.\u00a0 We have found our place in the big scheme of things and life is good.<\/p>\n

Then comes a cold breeze of confusion or criticism.\u00a0 Now we aren’t quite so happy and sure of ourselves.\u00a0 We feel like all our labors are in vain.\u00a0 We keep going because we don’t know what else to do, but our heart is not in it.\u00a0 Our prayer life begins to suffer and the Bible becomes just another chore to give attention too.\u00a0 But, even this isn’t the worst season for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

When winter comes to our walk with Jesus, things really can get discouraging.\u00a0 Our ministry seems to be going\u00a0 no where.\u00a0 We stop praying or feel like our prayers are bouncing off the walls.\u00a0 Our hearts grow colder by the day and we feel like we are dead inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

Winter doesn’t have to be so bad.\u00a0 The flowers and trees use winter to rest and strengthen themselves.\u00a0 I think that might work for us also.\u00a0 We can learn to depend more on Jesus and less on ourselves.\u00a0 We can use this down time to build up our reserves and deepen our relationship with God and others.\u00a0 All seasons have their good attributes.\u00a0 We just have to look for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

When spring comes along, we are so ready to move forward.\u00a0 All things become fresh and new.\u00a0 We birth new ideas and ministries.\u00a0 The SONSHINE warms our hearts and gives us direction for the new day.\u00a0 Our hearts are full of joy with the coming of spring and we are full of anticipation for the new season.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best part of spring is that it leads to summer.\u00a0 Warm weather, warm hearts, warm testimonies.\u00a0 Life is good in all seasons, because God is good in all seasons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I look outside at the trees with their leaves turning red,orange, and yellow; I just want to cry.\u00a0 I am so NOT ready for winter.\u00a0 I want the flowers to keep blooming and the sun to keep warming my face.\u00a0 I want to go swimming and play with the children in the sand.\u00a0 I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":420,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,3],"tags":[42,19,41,45],"class_list":["post-1784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-encouragement","tag-choices","tag-faith","tag-ministry","tag-personal-growth"],"yoast_head":"\nNot Ready - Small Town America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/smalltownamerica\/2012\/09\/not-ready.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Not Ready - Small Town America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As I look outside at the trees with their leaves turning red,orange, and yellow; 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