Living in Montana has made me especially aware of seasonal changes. Winter feels long and quiet. Spring is full of life. Summer fills the landscape with birds and adventure. And fall brings with it a hopeful feeling that something new is just around the corner.
Creation faithfully follows this rhythm year after year, and our lives often follow a similar pattern. As I walk with the Lord, I notice spiritual similarities as the seasons change.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything: “There is a time for everything, and a time for everything under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what you plant, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build up, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (3:1-4, ESV). We personally identify with each season that the author talks about.
There are seasons when we feel bright and vibrant, and there are seasons when we feel quiet, anxious, and even heavy. You may experience both extremes in the same week. But in every season, both joyful and difficult, God invites us to do the same thing: to draw closer to Him.
That invitation is no coincidence. That is the purpose for which we were created.
If you’re like me, you love bright, cheerful seasons, but you can trust that even the less desirable seasons can serve an important purpose.
Winter: When life feels quiet and heavy
Such harsh seasons often occur during winter.
Winter is dark, cold, calm and quiet. The landscape is barren. The best parts of life seem to disappear. Due to the lack of snow this year, the trees are especially bare, which makes the landscape feel even more rugged. That happens in life sometimes.
Spiritually, we too experience winter. And like my particularly monotonous winters, it can feel very hopeless. A season of sadness, anxiety, depression, uncertainty, or spiritual dryness. During dark seasons like this, it can feel like life itself has come to a standstill. But winter is not in vain, there is always hope.
There is still life breathing beneath the frozen earth. The roots continue to grow and the earth is quietly preparing for what comes next.
God often works in our lives in the same way. In the toughest seasons, God may seem to be doing nothing, but He is always working, even when we cannot see Him (Isaiah 43:19).
The more we experience winter, the more we realize that God may be using this season to slow us down along with the rest of creation. This does not mean we go into hibernation. It means we begin to understand more clearly what actually matters. When life slows down, the things that bring us closer to God – things like prayer, reflection, and time to read God’s Word – are often easier to notice and prioritize. And in that stillness, our faith often takes root even more deeply than during the busy times of our lives.
The key is learning to surrender to the seasons and accept that God is God. We often resist what God does because His pace is foreign to us. But the rhythm of creation, the slow changing of the seasons, reveals how God is frequently at work in our lives.
Sometimes it feels like we can’t make it through the winter. But winter never has the last word in nature, nor does it have the last word in our spiritual lives.
Spring: When the world awakens again
After a long winter, the first signs of spring feel almost miraculous. Small buds appear on branches that looked lifeless just a few weeks ago. My children and I are careful. We observe the trees every day, and for a while they still look mostly dead. Almost overnight, those same trees are suddenly full of lush green leaves and we stand there in awe of how life has returned so quickly.
Spring reminds us that rebirth often begins in small ways. There has been a sudden change in recent weeks.
God often works in our spiritual lives in a similar way. Many times, when I feel like I am not making much progress in my spiritual transformation, God gives me a moment of revelation that shows me how far along the path He has already led me.
Spring always reminds us that God is a God of rebirth, a God who brings life to places that once seemed barren. However, no matter how much we look forward to spring, we cannot force it to arrive early. Likewise, we cannot rush the seasons that God unfolds in our spiritual lives (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
But when spring finally arrives, something inside us comes alive with spring. The air is lighter, the colorful birds are back, and all your outdoor adventures feel vibrant again. On the first warm day, when the sun melts my bones and bright green leaves appear on the branches, there’s something that fills me with elation and excitement. Sometimes you even want to skip down the street.
When winter turns to spring, we realize that God has been at work all along. Seasons that once seemed lifeless begin to breathe new life and pulse with hope. Spring reminds us that God never abandons His work in us. God brings new life in His perfect time.
Summer: It’s time to enjoy life
By the time summer arrives, the world is no longer awake and summer is in full swing. The trees are lush and there is an earthy scent in the air that I love. I don’t know exactly what creates that scent, but my guess is that native trees and plants release their scent under the warmth of the sun. It’s my favorite smell. Birds are everywhere and the long days seem to stretch on into the evening.
Summer has become my favorite season. The mild Montana heat is wonderfully comfortable and the girls are home. My happiest moments are spent hiking with them and going on little outdoor adventures. We explore the trails, notice the birds, and enjoy the beauty of the landscape God has brought to life around us.
Sometimes I stop mid-hike to really take in everything. I feel a kind of joy that is difficult to explain. I feel like the world is alive by God’s grace.
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed are those who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8, ESV)!
Summer reminds us that walking with God is not just about enduring difficult seasons or waiting for renewal. Sometimes we rejoice in the life God has given us. God didn’t just create us to survive life, He created us to enjoy His creation and the people He has placed within it. We feel this joy when we faithfully abide with God.
It may take some practice to please the Lord. If you’re like me, we’re used to working hard, so accepting God’s mercy can feel reckless, but God is calling us to this summer season as well.
There are seasons in our spiritual lives that feel like summer. It is a time when faith is stable, joy comes easily, and gratitude comes naturally. In moments like these, we are reminded that God doesn’t just support us through hardship. He is also the source of our beauty and joy.
Summer invites us to slow down long enough to savor these gifts and thank the giver for putting them into our lives.
Autumn: Trusting God Through Change
Autumn in Montana is short but breathtakingly beautiful. Although the weather is still pleasant and there is plenty of warmth in the air, the scenery suddenly takes on a new color. Gold, red, and orange fill your field of vision, and the beauty is almost overwhelming.
However, there are signs of change in autumn. Birds are migrating in preparation for winter. Once in a while, you might come across a bird that excites your heart.
One fall afternoon, I had one of my favorite birding moments. A blue-bellied vireo passed by on its migration and God allowed me to see it. I was overjoyed! It reminded me that changing seasons are beautiful too.
Even when things are changing or the familiar is leaving, God is still present.
Change is still difficult, even when we know it is necessary. It’s okay to feel that discomfort. But God’s invitation is not to turn away from it, but to take refuge in it. Ecclesiastes once again reminds us that there is always “a time to ask, and a time to lose” (3:6, ESV).
Every time I leaned in, God met me there, in the discomfort. And there I feel peace.
Sometimes the most difficult part of accepting change is anticipating it. Also, the hardest part is learning how to deal with change itself. But God’s constant comfort is always there. (John 14:27)
Each season of life reveals something about God’s heart. Winter teaches us to rely on God. Spring reminds us that God renews what once felt lifeless. Summer invites us to rejoice in God’s goodness. And fall teaches us to trust God through change.
In each season, God brings us closer to Himself. No matter the season, God’s purpose remains the same. In God’s hands, no season is wasted. And just like the seasons of creation, God’s work in our lives never ends.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Artur Debat
Vanessa Lu is a wife, mother, and faith-based writer. She speaks and writes to encourage believers to truly live with God.
