While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
Hopefully everyone has noticed the weather changing, the leaves turning color and falling to the ground, the frost advisories that are coming out and the shorter days. I know I have. I admit that I am a summer girl. I tell people that I would make a good lizard sitting out on a rock soaking up the sun! I am not looking forward to days getting shorter, having to lug water to the animals and freezing my fingers while I do chores.
What is interesting with the verse I picked for this blog is that in the NIV the word "remains" is replaced by the word "endures". Endure is a verb that means to suffer or tolerate. Even though I grew up in Wisconsin it still feels that I endure winter every year.
I think these are interesting word choices as we look at our walk with God as well since we are of this earth. There are things we need to endure. I think each thing or situation is different for each person, but I know the path of faith is not always easy. What is also interesting is if you look at synonyms for endure: bear (well, bears can hibernate :-)), stand, suffer, tolerate, sustain and undergo. The word sustain and undergo stick out to me. In Wisconsin we can't have the beautiful springs unless the earth can undergo a transformation and flowers can regenerate, trees can grow deeper in the ground and have a seeming time of rest. The way the seasons work also helps the earth to sustain resources. We noticed that especially this past summer when things get out of whack and there isn't a sustaining rain to help all the growth.
As you endure on this earth, what helps to sustain you through the difficult or changing times?
I am looking forward to the Winter Youth Retreat the end of January - that can be a time of enduing through the long months until we can spend time at Tamarack again.
If you aren't someone that can make it to the retreat...what helps you?
What is interesting with the verse I picked for this blog is that in the NIV the word "remains" is replaced by the word "endures". Endure is a verb that means to suffer or tolerate. Even though I grew up in Wisconsin it still feels that I endure winter every year.
I think these are interesting word choices as we look at our walk with God as well since we are of this earth. There are things we need to endure. I think each thing or situation is different for each person, but I know the path of faith is not always easy. What is also interesting is if you look at synonyms for endure: bear (well, bears can hibernate :-)), stand, suffer, tolerate, sustain and undergo. The word sustain and undergo stick out to me. In Wisconsin we can't have the beautiful springs unless the earth can undergo a transformation and flowers can regenerate, trees can grow deeper in the ground and have a seeming time of rest. The way the seasons work also helps the earth to sustain resources. We noticed that especially this past summer when things get out of whack and there isn't a sustaining rain to help all the growth.
As you endure on this earth, what helps to sustain you through the difficult or changing times?
I am looking forward to the Winter Youth Retreat the end of January - that can be a time of enduing through the long months until we can spend time at Tamarack again.
If you aren't someone that can make it to the retreat...what helps you?
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