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| Copyright © 2009 Hendrix Media Group/Bluegrass Christian Magazine/KYfamily.com |
Surviving the Season
by Jerry Ousley
“Look at the trees,” I said to my wife. Practically overnight it seemed that they had been painted in reds,
oranges, and yellows. While admiring nature’s artistic work I also wondered where the time had gone for it
seemed only days since the trees were rich with soft, dark green leaves. “We need to set aside some time
to visit the State Park,” she responded. This time of year the multi-colored leaves become the spectacular
event that draws a huge audience of spectators each and every fall to those forests of vivid beauty.
Fall colors indicate the beginning of more festive times for many. With all its controversy, Halloween sported
costume-clad children and even occasional adults looking for a good time bobbing for apples or trick-or-
treating for snacks of all kinds.
Fast on its heels is Thanksgiving; the time to celebrate the feast uniting Native Americans with those who
had come from the other side of the “Big Pond.” Most of us rarely think of more than turkey, dressing, or a
chance to stretch out on the sofa justifying gluttony and football.
Each year leftovers are barely gone before it’s time to spend more money than one can afford lavishing
friends and family with gifts in celebration of Christmas. This holiday is supposed to be all about the birth of
Jesus Christ but with each progressing year it seems that the true theme of the holiday is honored less, with
more emphasis on political correctness and greater attention given to gifts, dinners, parades, family get-
togethers and yes, more football.
While I pretended to love that time of year from colored leaves to snow for Christmas, beneath the surface
depression would set in and I dug deeply to understand why. Those feelings could be blamed on over-
spending. It took most of the coming year to pay for all the extras required for feasting, gifts and parties
before starting all over again. But that wasn’t really it. While my façade displayed happiness and joy, if I
had shared my real feelings with anyone it would have been enough to make Santa Claus check his list
more than twice and think about giving a lump of coal beneath the Christmas tree.
As the New Year drew near I began to think it might offer some hope. We all get a chance to re-evaluate the
outcome of the past twelve months and are quick to make resolutions to start off the upcoming ones. With
each passing year I found that more and more changes were added to my list but I could only pick one or
two because, well too much change is just overwhelming. On the surface, a resolution is something like
getting more exercise while secretly resolving to make more serious under-the-surface alterations. I started
out like gang-busters walking a mile each day, riding the exercise bike and doing pushups, for at least the
first week - but the cold of winter slowed my enthusiasm and added fuel to the excuse that it would be better
to wait until it got warmer outside and the resolution was lost. Losing the obvious exterior resolution, I was
justified with the loss of the more serious interior one. Then I was ashamed and disillusioned.
The winter months brought gray skies and gloomier days. The first falling snow was always pretty unless
you were trying desperately to get to work. But over the next few months it piled higher and higher coating
the ground with white powder and ice. I wondered if and when it would end. The crunching sound of the
hardened snow became irritating as one tried to make their way through it, each step leaving ugly dirty scars
in the otherwise white surface. The gray and cold permeated the very core of my soul and I found myself
longing for those warm days of summer, growing grass and even mowing the lawn.
Why did I feel this way when the rest of the world seemed so happy about holidays, snow sledding and other
winter activities? Why did I fake it so as to fit in when really all I wanted to do was hide under the covers until
it was all over? Perhaps bears had the right idea by hibernating. But that practice is not acceptable
amongst humans and is considered a sickness rather than the norm. So I had no choice except to try to fit
in and make the best of it.
That was before. Today is a new day. I found out that it isn’t all the things we are expected to do that make
the holidays special, but rather doing what brings meaning to us and gives us peace with God in the
process. Holiday depression can stem from many things including over-doing, under-doing, personal loss,
or the inability to understand what the seasonal hype is all about. We can blame it on the season or on
most anything really. But unless we look deep inside we may never discover the truth and our depression
can bleed us dry all year long. It will draw the line between existence and real life. The solution begins by
getting to know our Creator; the One who made it all happen; the great eternal force of the universe who
seems so mysterious – God who made all life and all things, who takes time out to individually love us.
When we realize that He loves us and made us so that we can get to know Him personally by reading the
Bible – His word that reveals His character and His plan, then we can begin to find answers. It is coming to
know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we aren’t here because of some cataclysmic cosmic accident, or
because our ancient ancestors fought so mightily to be the fittest to survive, adapt and evolve. It’s coming
to know that we are here because He wants us here. We have purpose. Just knowing that can begin to
dispel depression and pave the road to recovery.
God gave us seasons – not only in nature but also in life. They are characteristic of the cycle of living.
Many things could be said about them but peace comes in simply knowing that God has them under control.
The gloom of winter will come to an end giving way to spring and new life. The prosperity of summer will be
followed by the harvest of fall which once again ushers in the well deserved rest of another winter. “To
everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven . . .” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV). That
variety restores life, especially when we can chase away our worries knowing that we are in God’s hands.
While searching we will discover the answer to some of our questions while some will remain concealed.
That doesn’t mean that God is hiding things from us. It only means that maybe we don’t need to know.
What He allows us to find out during our life journey will be enough. Those discoveries will lead us out of
that depression restoring our joy in knowing who we serve and being satisfied that ultimately He has our
future under control. We can be like those sheep that graze unconcerned knowing that the shepherd has
their backs
As we follow God in faith He will lead us beside those still waters that bring peace even when storms are
raging all around. He becomes that quiet place where we can escape the demands life brings. He restores
our joy allowing us to once again look forward to colored leaves, feasting with friends and celebrating the
happiness of life and the events that make it so. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the
world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:29 NKJV).
God through His Son, Jesus Christ brings everything back into focus – at least those things we are allowed
to see. When our focus is correct we move from aimless existence into the certain reality of “extraordinary
living.”
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal” and “The Spirit Bread Daily
Devotional. Email us to receive your copy today! He can be heard Monday through Friday on Internet
Radio. Log on to http://www.spiritbread.com to find out more. Email: jousley@spiritbread.com
NOTE: “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and “Ordeal” are now available at amazon.com for the Kindle
by Jerry Ousley
“Look at the trees,” I said to my wife. Practically overnight it seemed that they had been painted in reds,
oranges, and yellows. While admiring nature’s artistic work I also wondered where the time had gone for it
seemed only days since the trees were rich with soft, dark green leaves. “We need to set aside some time
to visit the State Park,” she responded. This time of year the multi-colored leaves become the spectacular
event that draws a huge audience of spectators each and every fall to those forests of vivid beauty.
Fall colors indicate the beginning of more festive times for many. With all its controversy, Halloween sported
costume-clad children and even occasional adults looking for a good time bobbing for apples or trick-or-
treating for snacks of all kinds.
Fast on its heels is Thanksgiving; the time to celebrate the feast uniting Native Americans with those who
had come from the other side of the “Big Pond.” Most of us rarely think of more than turkey, dressing, or a
chance to stretch out on the sofa justifying gluttony and football.
Each year leftovers are barely gone before it’s time to spend more money than one can afford lavishing
friends and family with gifts in celebration of Christmas. This holiday is supposed to be all about the birth of
Jesus Christ but with each progressing year it seems that the true theme of the holiday is honored less, with
more emphasis on political correctness and greater attention given to gifts, dinners, parades, family get-
togethers and yes, more football.
While I pretended to love that time of year from colored leaves to snow for Christmas, beneath the surface
depression would set in and I dug deeply to understand why. Those feelings could be blamed on over-
spending. It took most of the coming year to pay for all the extras required for feasting, gifts and parties
before starting all over again. But that wasn’t really it. While my façade displayed happiness and joy, if I
had shared my real feelings with anyone it would have been enough to make Santa Claus check his list
more than twice and think about giving a lump of coal beneath the Christmas tree.
As the New Year drew near I began to think it might offer some hope. We all get a chance to re-evaluate the
outcome of the past twelve months and are quick to make resolutions to start off the upcoming ones. With
each passing year I found that more and more changes were added to my list but I could only pick one or
two because, well too much change is just overwhelming. On the surface, a resolution is something like
getting more exercise while secretly resolving to make more serious under-the-surface alterations. I started
out like gang-busters walking a mile each day, riding the exercise bike and doing pushups, for at least the
first week - but the cold of winter slowed my enthusiasm and added fuel to the excuse that it would be better
to wait until it got warmer outside and the resolution was lost. Losing the obvious exterior resolution, I was
justified with the loss of the more serious interior one. Then I was ashamed and disillusioned.
The winter months brought gray skies and gloomier days. The first falling snow was always pretty unless
you were trying desperately to get to work. But over the next few months it piled higher and higher coating
the ground with white powder and ice. I wondered if and when it would end. The crunching sound of the
hardened snow became irritating as one tried to make their way through it, each step leaving ugly dirty scars
in the otherwise white surface. The gray and cold permeated the very core of my soul and I found myself
longing for those warm days of summer, growing grass and even mowing the lawn.
Why did I feel this way when the rest of the world seemed so happy about holidays, snow sledding and other
winter activities? Why did I fake it so as to fit in when really all I wanted to do was hide under the covers until
it was all over? Perhaps bears had the right idea by hibernating. But that practice is not acceptable
amongst humans and is considered a sickness rather than the norm. So I had no choice except to try to fit
in and make the best of it.
That was before. Today is a new day. I found out that it isn’t all the things we are expected to do that make
the holidays special, but rather doing what brings meaning to us and gives us peace with God in the
process. Holiday depression can stem from many things including over-doing, under-doing, personal loss,
or the inability to understand what the seasonal hype is all about. We can blame it on the season or on
most anything really. But unless we look deep inside we may never discover the truth and our depression
can bleed us dry all year long. It will draw the line between existence and real life. The solution begins by
getting to know our Creator; the One who made it all happen; the great eternal force of the universe who
seems so mysterious – God who made all life and all things, who takes time out to individually love us.
When we realize that He loves us and made us so that we can get to know Him personally by reading the
Bible – His word that reveals His character and His plan, then we can begin to find answers. It is coming to
know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we aren’t here because of some cataclysmic cosmic accident, or
because our ancient ancestors fought so mightily to be the fittest to survive, adapt and evolve. It’s coming
to know that we are here because He wants us here. We have purpose. Just knowing that can begin to
dispel depression and pave the road to recovery.
God gave us seasons – not only in nature but also in life. They are characteristic of the cycle of living.
Many things could be said about them but peace comes in simply knowing that God has them under control.
The gloom of winter will come to an end giving way to spring and new life. The prosperity of summer will be
followed by the harvest of fall which once again ushers in the well deserved rest of another winter. “To
everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven . . .” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV). That
variety restores life, especially when we can chase away our worries knowing that we are in God’s hands.
While searching we will discover the answer to some of our questions while some will remain concealed.
That doesn’t mean that God is hiding things from us. It only means that maybe we don’t need to know.
What He allows us to find out during our life journey will be enough. Those discoveries will lead us out of
that depression restoring our joy in knowing who we serve and being satisfied that ultimately He has our
future under control. We can be like those sheep that graze unconcerned knowing that the shepherd has
their backs
As we follow God in faith He will lead us beside those still waters that bring peace even when storms are
raging all around. He becomes that quiet place where we can escape the demands life brings. He restores
our joy allowing us to once again look forward to colored leaves, feasting with friends and celebrating the
happiness of life and the events that make it so. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the
world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:29 NKJV).
God through His Son, Jesus Christ brings everything back into focus – at least those things we are allowed
to see. When our focus is correct we move from aimless existence into the certain reality of “extraordinary
living.”
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal” and “The Spirit Bread Daily
Devotional. Email us to receive your copy today! He can be heard Monday through Friday on Internet
Radio. Log on to http://www.spiritbread.com to find out more. Email: jousley@spiritbread.com
NOTE: “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and “Ordeal” are now available at amazon.com for the Kindle
