Winter Illusion

Here in the Ozarks we have three seasons of beauty. Spring is, as I have described before, a luscious feast for the eyes. Summer bestows lush greenery and beautiful wet-weather creeks and waterfalls. It is not uncommon to drive down a busy street and glance off to the side to see a waterfall bubbling by the side of the road, or water cascading down a craggy rock face. And of course there are the lakes glistening in the sunlight. The lakes call to us with their serenity and the promise of a good time to be had. Fishing, water skiing, boating, or just sitting by the edge watching the waterfowl; the lakes offer a variety of entertainments.

Autumn is my favorite time of year। The leaves change almost daily, their subtle variations providing glorious ornamentation to the already beautiful landscape. I haven't painted in years, but each fall, the scenery beckons and I make my children and husband take photographs with the intention of capturing the rich tapestry of color on canvas. Every familiar sight becomes more interesting as Autumn paints it with the fabulous hues of the season.

But in contrast to the thrill the other seasons bring to my senses; I am not as enthusiastic about winter here in the Ozarks. To be fair, I don't like winter in general. I am not a fan of cold weather or snow or ice. I prefer temperatures in the 70's. I have lived in some very wintry places, and I do appreciate the beauty of the scenery clothed in glimmering snow and ice. And here in the Ozarks is no exception. When we get snow here, it is stunningly beautiful as well. The Cedar and Pine trees weighted down with a heavy wet snow and the calm untouched feeling of the landscape is breathtaking. But the problem is, we don't get much snow. If we do get winter precipitation it is usually in the form of treacherous ice. Ice that breaks power lines, leaving people without heat or electricity often for days. It is dangerous on our curvy and steeply pitched roads. It is, as I said, treacherous. Thankfully we don't get ice all the time either. It's not the cold and snow or even ice that makes winter unbearable.

How does the same landscape become so uninviting in the winter? The same features are there, but they are not appealing. The bleak expanse of familiar territory. The dull, lifeless terrain is devoid of color without a blanket of snow to hide it until spring.

That's how it seems in life sometimes। It seems as though it is winter, the weather is cold, but there is nothing beautiful to look at. There are great things you could do with a bit of snow; skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, sleighing, etc... but there is no snow. Day after day, of the same places and things. It seems as if it is one unending sequence of the same thing over and over.

But all the while; the earth is rotating and time is marching on. About the time we are resigned to winter for the rest of our lives; we begin to sense a change in the air. The days are getting longer, the sun is shining brighter, the temperature is a bit warmer. Then we begin to see the visible signs of spring. It's that way with life in general. We feel that we are going through the motions, not making any progress at all. We are on a never ending treadmill. There is no escape from the mistakes of the past, the monotony of the present, no prospect of hope for the future. But just as natural spring comes in it's season bringing with it new growth; so we will suddenly experience a season of growth and the budding of new life if we don't give up.

We all experience times that seem dry and our senses tell us we are flying upside down. It seems as though we won't ever get on course. But if we are following the voice of God and are putting His word in our hearts, we can be assured that the bleak, wintry landscape is just an illusion and spring is just around the corner.