God’s Will in the Winter Chill
This winter, you felt it — the freeze that came and left its mark on all our shrubs! Our usually lush, tropical paradise in our backyard (in Orlando) looks so sad. Vibrant pinwheel jasmine bushes looked torched and turned to shades of brown, our delicate palms drooped in surrender, and our beautiful butterfly garden no longer exists. It was shocking because once-thriving foliage appeared lifeless almost overnight. It was discouraging to look out my window to see something so full of life change so quickly.
But then I began to reflect, and I realized that life has its own “freezes” — seasons that feel unexpected, uncomfortable and unfair. Seasons where things don’t grow the way we hoped. Here’s the beautiful twist — what looked like destruction is actually setting the stage for transformation. And yet, God is still present in all of it. He’s working deep down in our lives doing things we can’t always see. What appears ruined is often just being reset. Beneath the surface, roots are alive, still working, still growing, still preparing the soil for what’s next. He doesn’t waste a single moment — not even on a freeze. What we see as loss, He sees as preparation. God is in the details. 🌸
God is the ultimate gardener, and He’s not afraid to prune with purpose. Sometimes, He lovingly cuts back the very things we thought we needed, not to harm us, but to strengthen us. Pruning makes room for deeper roots, for stronger growth, for more blooms, and an abundance of fruit.
So as we move further into spring, take heart in the signs of renewal around you. Just like our landscapes will soon burst with fresh colors and the greens of summer, new growth is happening in us, too. You are being refreshed, restored, and recharged. I believe that God specializes in comeback seasons. It’s not just recovery — it’s revival. 🌷
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine: you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
~John 15:4–5 (NIV)