of abiding and resting and hoping--never despairing in our dormancy.

snow-laden earth.
every branch, every tree, every surface.. weighed down.

when the world outside your window reveals the reality of your season inside.
and when what the eye sees is actually explaining what the heart feels.

heavy-laden soul.
every inch of you.. weighed down.
every hope, every dream, every desire.. seemingly hidden and laid dormant.


but beloved,
there's always two ways to see things.
through the lens of what you see and feel.
or through the lens of what you believe and hope for.

one has the foundation of your circumstances.
the latter has the foundation of His promises.


because, dear one,
sometimes it's those hard winter seasons, those barren places, where everything looks so-- bleak.
that He's actually teaching you to rest.


and what may look like the opposite of what we want and desire and dare I say, need--
is actually exactly what is necessary.
to truly learn to abide.
because when you can't change the external on your own,
there's no striving-- and there's room for learning to remain. in Him. through any season.


be encouraged today, friend.
that in that season of feeling barren-- a spiritual winter.
outwardly so un-fruitful.He's actually covering you,
cleansing you and purifying you.

there's rest for you in this place.

and a lesson in remaining.

because it's easy to abide when our lives are colorful and full of LIFE
but oh, beloved,
the secret is cleaving, continuing to be present, remaining as one with Him-- not becoming another or different, faithfully waiting--
in every season,
especially the barren ones.

because to remain faithful and abide, pregnant with hope, through the dormant seasons that are temporary,
comes with the promise--
unwavering and sure--
of [much fruit] come spring,
and fruit that remains.
for eternity.



and who knows these truths better than the One who tasted and felt and experienced the fullness of death, in every way,
yet clung to the promise of LIFE as His body, the very Light of the world and Bread of life-- lay in the ground-- dormant.

Hope for humanity was buried.
and to the natural eye-- dead.

oh, but He knew that upside-down Kingdom principle--
"I assure you, most solemnly I tell you,
unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone.
But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest".  John 12:24

what appeared and felt like death-- was actually producing life.

He knew the secret of abiding in His Father's love,
and resting in His promise.

and the words of the Son of Man, spoken right before He purposefully laid His life down-- entering a the ultimate season of bareness and death,
are loud and clear for you and me today,

I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me].  John 15:9


"but I will hope continually,
and will praise You yet more and more" Psalm 71:14

for in it's truest form, 
we hope for what we do NOT see yet.
what we do not FEEL yet.

and beloved, it takes faith.

"now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]." Hebrews 11:1

So lay aside what you feel,
and even what you see today, friend.
and take on fresh perspective to see as He does.

because the only way to really hope is to abide,
and the only way to really rest is to hope.

so put off discouragement,
cast down those burdens,
take up His yoke--which is easy and light--
and find the dormancy as a place of purification and rest--an opportunity to abide.
and see it as He does--
Him beautifully covering you.


and if you hold on and press in to the One acquainted with grief, sorrow, loneliness and loss, yet always abounding in hope and never losing sight--

there is always the promise of spring.
a harvest of fruit.
that will only be that much more valuable and precious.
because what we sow in tears-- and persistently, faithfully, patiently wait for even when we do not see it--
we will surely reap with joy.

and even more than that,
we'll know and live in that secret, sacred place--
abiding always in His love.