When it snows on April 17th

It’s April 17th. The trees are covered with a heavy blanket of white. And I just started reading It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst.

When I found out we were being sent home 2 months into our mission trip I said, “God, if I have to go home can I at least have some snow?” After living in 100 degree weather, I was missing the coziness of winter. My first morning home I sat next to the window at 4:30 am and watched flurries fall for a few short minutes. I was hoping for big, puffy flakes. You know, the kind that communicate peace and stillness as they slowly make their way to the ground. But I accepted the little flakes with a grateful heart.

What I didn’t expect was to receive my wish in mid-April, when it is “supposed to be” spring.

How many times do we pray and doubt if God hears us? How many times do we share our desires with our maker, and assume the answer will be “No?” How many times do we receive an answered prayer at a time other than what we hoped for and view it as an annoyance or inconvenience rather than a blessing?

Sometimes God’s answer is “No.” Sometimes it’s “Wait.” Sometimes it’s “Not yet.” If God works all things for the good of those that love Him (Romans 8:28), then He’s not going to give us something we perceive as “good” if we’re not ready for it.

God doesn’t withhold good things from His children (Psalm 84:11). So when He changes the plan, when He says, “Not yet,” when we don’t understand why, this is where we learn to trust. These are the moments where our Faith is strengthened.
Waiting doesn’t equal lack of action. 

So what are we supposed to do in a season of waiting?

Psalm 37 tells us to wait, dwell, and trust the Lord. For me that looks like spending time in the word, singing and dancing, journaling, serving others, and building relationships. But it also looks like this: crying, questioning, wondering, being real with God about how I’m feeling, letting others in (when I want to shut the world out), because if we’re being real-waiting can be hard, lonely, and painful. There are many areas of my life I could look at and say, “It’s not supposed to be this way.” But I always come back to hope. I always come back to God’s truth in the Bible. I always come back to, “God, I may not understand, but I trust you. This is not how I pictured my life, but a life with you is so much better than anything I could dream up.”

So today I thank God for the snow. I thank Him for seasons that allow me to grow and trust Him more.

If you are in a season of waiting, confusion, or just plain feel lost-you are not alone my friend. Look up from that valley. There’s beauty in brokenness and Jesus is right there with you.