Our
theme this month focuses on how profoundly we need God’s refreshment,
especially when winter is still with us. We’re tired of the cold and snow. Or
we’re exhausted after extended demands. Some days it seems as though our spirits are caught
in a deep freeze. Our resources become depleted and we long
for the warm breath of God to renew our faith and creative endeavours.
As I was
preparing this blog in mid-January, much of Western Canada experienced a deep
freeze when temperatures dipped to lows we hadn't seen in years. (Alberta’s
record low was -47.) Even the penguins at the Calgary zoo couldn’t handle the
cold weather!
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| Calgary in -30 weather |
I thought
of the many times when life has hit me like a winter blizzard. I became overextended
or exhausted with health needs, disturbed through grief, or simply downcast and
anxious. I needed God’s refreshment.
Two of
our bloggers in January chose words of the year that reflected on rest and
refreshment. Alan Anderson’s “Rest” resonated with many readers, judging by the
number of comments he received. Pam Mytroen chose “Renewal”. How much she
needed God to breathe His life into her and renew her mind, body and spirit! Her
renewal is not a search for what to do but who to be. (Both these
blogs are worth a wonderful reread!)
What
does God say to us during these times? God knows we don't have unlimited resources. He
knows we need respite, even when we don’t always realize how critical our need
is until we're totally worn out. He comes to us with the gentle touch of
Himself, like the welcome Chinook winds blowing into Southern Alberta.
In
January, within four days of our frigid weather, Chinook winds wafted over the
Rocky Mountains, bringing above freezing temperatures. We shed our heaviest
coats and mitts, came out of hibernation, visited neighbours, caught up with
our shopping, and said how glad we were for warm weather.
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| Chinook Arch cloud formation |
When
Chinooks arrive, I love being outside. The air from the low-pressure system carries
sounds clearly. I feel as well as hear the children’s clear voices on
the outdoor hockey rink, their skates swishing, their hockey sticks ringing
against pucks. I hear trains in the distance the way I can’t during storm
systems. I even feel the release of pressure on my body.
Like Chinooks,
God refreshes our spirits. He has tenderly brought
words of promise in my times of chaos. "He restores my soul”, David wrote. (Psalm
23:3). Jesus promised, "Come
to me and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). God also promises: “I
restore the crushed spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). “I refresh my weary inheritance” (Psalm 68:9).
God also comes
with the gentle breeze of His presence. The seventeenth-century monk, Brother
Lawrence, thought of God in the present moment. His example reminds me to focus
my thoughts back to God in praise and gratitude, whose “mercies are new every morning”
(Lamentations 3:22-23).
God
brings the gentle breezes of His larger purpose. We may not see this purpose
until, well after the crisis, we understand it in hindsight. But we can be sure God
has one. “My ways are higher than your ways,” the prophet Isaiah said (55:8-9).
God
brings a gentle breeze of His perspective and balance as we reflect on His providential
ordering of events. And we know that, as we receive God's strength, we will
emerge with stronger faith.
~ ~ ~
God has
many creative ways to bring us healing and restoration. Our writers this month
will give their perspectives and counsel and will demonstrate how God inspires us to
see His redemptive purposes from our winter darkness.
And you? How
has God’s gentle breeze brought refreshment to you? How does God restore you,
your
spirits and/or your writing?
Press into
the Lord and claim His peace, His renewal and healing.
