Snow & Flowers

I looked up at the Sandias yesterday and saw what I look for every year -- the aspens have changed color. The top of the mountain now has splashes of brilliant yellow (and the smoke has cleared enough to see this, thank you, God :0). That bright, cheerful color on the mountains means fall is here. The days are still warm enough to be outside, the nights cool enough to sleep well. But, in the northern hemisphere, fall also means everything is about to die and blow away or be frozen and covered in snow.
Still, autumn is my favorite season, with is ironic, because I do not like the "fall" seasons in life. I don't like it when life gets harder and colder. I do not like foreseeing "death" and the need for endurance. I don't enjoy fall because I dread the "winter" seasons in life. 
But watching the Sandias, I know the snow of winter is what waters the spring. The chill of winter, saves the crystallized water so the wildflowers will grow and the desert will blossom again.  A mild winter means a dry spring and a dusty (sometimes smoky) summer.
As much as I resist it -- that is how it works in life too. Our winters in life provide us proof that God is faithful, able, and willing to bring us through. They build within us a reservoir of experiencing God's love, comfort, and strength. And come spring, like snow and flowers, those lessons learned declare themselves in more Christ-like character and hardier faith.