Rebirth, Resurrection, Renewal

There are early signs of fall in Washington, D.C. The changing seasons always prompt both my mind and body to reflect. The first crisp breeze feels familiar to my body, and so my mind travels back to early fall days of years past. Last fall was particularly difficult for me, so the early signs this year have been accompanied by tension and worry. To help my body transition, I read back through my journal from last fall. I have no memory of writing the following, but it was a beautiful gift from my past self to my current self:

“Rebirth, resurrection, and renewal are always possible and happening. Not to be feared even though it is scary. The seasons change and things die, but life always blooms again. Transformation is happening acutely in these thin times.”

Perhaps I heard this in a sermon, or read something that triggered this thought. I can’t remember. What I do know is that it’s a treasure of hope from a difficult season.

This sentiment is the core of the Good News: even when the most painful things are happening, God is at work creating opportunities for rebirth, resurrection, and renewal. The trust required to believe this truth often feels scary. We want the suffering chapter to end and the season of renewal to begin. We don’t want to wade through the murky time of grief and growth.

If you ever think you’re stuck in a dark chapter, you don’t have to look further than the changing seasons to know that God is at work in your life. Life is always in motion, even if ever so slowly: the summer fades into fall, where the leaves beautifully change and die. Fall fades into a winter of darkness and cold, that slowly (especially in New England!) emerges into spring.

Theodicy–the study of evil and God’s role in suffering–asks challenging questions. I don’t believe that God leads us to suffering, but I know that God walks with us through and out of dark times. Suffering is inevitable, and we have evidence in scripture, and hopefully our own lives, that God brings new life out of suffering. As I’ve written before, the torturous execution device used to kill Jesus is now worn around the necks of billions of people throughout the world. What was once brutal can–with time and abundant grace–become a mark of God’s redemption.

In challenging times, or “thin times” as I wrote here, God is close. Transformation can happen quickly and acutely in such difficult times. You likely won’t see it happening at the time, but maybe the first fall breeze will remind you of how far you’ve come.

Text copyright © 2023 Grace Woodward. All rights reserved.