Rain, and what comes after.

"See!" The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms it's early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their early fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."
-Song of Solomon 2:11-13

Everyone has stormy seasons in their life. I have had a few, or maybe just one long extended rainy season filled with ups and downs, periods of light rain and times of heavy thunderstorms. In the midst of winter, it is hard to imagine what spring feels like. It is difficult to picture green trees and warm nights when you are surrounded by snow drifts and howling winds. But our God is good, and he keeps all of his promises. We can have hope during those rainy seasons of our life. For me, in the years since losing my mom to cancer, I have felt God whispering to me to hold on, whispering to me about what comes after the rain.

So much good comes from rain. The beauty we experience every summer would not be possible without the rains of early spring. God uses those hard times and situations in our life to sanctify our hearts, bring us closer to him, and to glorify his name.

I feel like I am finally starting to grasp this. I feel like my heart is slowly starting to unthaw after a hard few years of winter. I am beginning to see the flowers that have come from all the rain in the past years. And it is so good.