It’s winter in the woods, and the sun is noticeably higher in the sky than mid-December. Spring is just over the horizon. In anticipation, my husband and I oft times slog through crusty ridges of snow on the road beyond our driveway – a stark contrast from the neatly plowed and shoveled roads and sidewalks of the city. These stark passages of time make me wonder, ‘What lies over the horizon for us’? At seventy-plus years, it’s best to be content and leave it in God’s hands.

 
A heavy snowstorm hit the woods not too long ago in January. Several pine and birch are still bowed down with branches frozen and stuck solid to the ground. Heavy lumps of hardened snow stick brick-like to the branches. If they could just throw them off and look upward, they’d see that help was on the way — the rejuvenating sun with its promise of better days.

It reminds me of the storm damage we sometimes experience in life. It could be ill health, a personal heartache, a broken relationship, or a crushing defeat by some sin or failure from the past. Times when we might not sense the smile of God’s favor, or see the brightness of His Son; times where we feel frozen, immobile, and where it seems impossible to look up being bowed under the weight of trial or sin. But rest assured, the Son above takes note of our affliction. For believers, He is not only above us, but also within us even when we can’t see Him. It might take a while for our faith to stand upright again, but remember how the faithful sun slowly melts the weight of ice and snow over time and exposure. Meantime, let’s expose our faith to all the heavenly Son we can get in prayer and in the Word, and trust Him to do His work. Even when we fail in faith, He remains faithful. He cannot deny himself.