Seeking Spring in a Season of Cloudy Relationships

Posted on Mar 28, 2019 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional, Women's Christian Living
Posted by : Blythe Daniel

Think about a lone tulip peeking out to see if it's safe to emerge. Its growth and beauty are the result of the cold and harsh storms of winter. The first few months of each year are often dark, cold, and shadowy. Like the tulip curled up, riding out the winter storms, the winter season can often intensify any personal shadows lurking in our souls. What have you been storing up this winter? Do you have a particular relationship that has been in the shadows?

Hang Tight Under His Shadow

We have seen mothers and daughters rise from the depths of hurt in their relationships. It’s safe to say that we have felt the harsh winter of words or actions that have come between us. It’s good to recall what Psalm 91:1 says: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the SHADOW of the Almighty.” If we can hang tight under His shelter, under His literal covering, we will abide well during the shadows in our lives. It’s the opposite of covering up.

Our strained relationships often lead us to run away. But His Shadow overshadows our shadows. His covering over us is strong. And over our relationships. Trusting that the word shadow doesn’t mean he’s hiding but that he’s holding onto us. We’ve stored our hearts away and he wants to bring them to fullness.

Relationships as Shadows

There’s another shadow, mentioned in Psalm 23: “walking through the valley of the SHADOW of death” and we know what that valley feels like. Perhaps a relationship is your shadow. Maybe you don’t know where you stand with your mom, sister, daughter, or other family member.

Have you brought your relationships out of the shadows to Him?
Have you moved toward your loved one in an effort to restore what needs to be restored between you?

We’ve seen that praise and gratitude are glorious pieces of equipment to abide in His Shadow. Isaiah 61:3 refers to “the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting, so they will be called oaks of righteousness.” The praise you can offer God for what you want to see in an uncertain relationship can be what lifts you from winter to spring. Gratitude for your life even when it’s not experienced with the one you want to be close to.

Declare Our Praise Even in Winter

In spring you may notice the stature of the mighty oaks that stand tall. They are declaring their victory through winter even when it’s not fully spring yet. We would do well to declare our praise even in the harsh winter of seeking to make ourselves present in difficult relationships. Often we see this as mother and daughter because of the identity shared between the two.

We have a saying in our homes that we want to choose to “be okay no matter what.” We don’t mean that we want to be without feelings. We don’t encourage stuffing our thoughts or emotions. We just don’t want circumstances or people to rob us of our love, joy, and peace.

Breeze of Change

Our prayer for you is that your overhanging, cloudy days will experience new life with the advent of spring. That the Lord will show you how to begin to restore your mind and your heart to experience new hope in your relationships. May you sense the breeze of change toward even your mother or daughter as you speak words to her that invite her into your life: “How do you see our relationship and my part in moving closer to you so that we can become mended?” would be a start to a season of restoring your relationship.

Even if spring doesn’t come to the other person’s heart, you will know that you are no longer in the depths of winter. You are rising out of a hidden place and putting before God your desire to offer praise instead of lament. Fresh buds instead of the fallen leaves of words in the past. It’s a fresh start–will you join Him in receiving it?

Lord, will You overshadow us in each new season and help our expectant faith rather than exasperated hopelessness to lead us further into your covering over us?