January is a little bit plain. In our home, the packing
of the Christmas decorations left a simpler décor behind. I welcomed the
January simplicity with equal enthusiasm to the December festivity. It felt less
cluttered and more restful. It offered a little break before the February
valentine’s hearts and Easter/Spring seasonals. But it can feel a little blasé too.
Outdoors, things are a little simpler too. Even in
south Texas, the mowing season is on a brief pause. Trees are half bare. The
plants in my garden and flowerbeds are brown-edged, nipped by frost, or asleep under
protective sheets and tarps. Their growth has stalled as the soil rests up for the
next growing season. Ah, the simplicity of the dormant season! Nature thrives
on the repetition of the cycle, demanding the season of dormancy as much as it
gives the season of growth.
So why are we so uncomfortable when we go through a
season of dormancy in our own lives? You know, the times when we feel
unproductive or bored or restless. We all have those times. Sometimes we face
them with anxious worry. What is wrong with me? Sometimes we welcome them like
a vacation between exhausting periods of deadlines.
I have come to terms with my seasons of dormancy. I prefer
to be growing, achieving and accomplishing. But I’ve learned how to be content
in dormancy by doing three things.
REST – Once you recognize your
sense of restlessness, then rest. Conserve your energy. Give your mind, body,
and soul time to restore from the last season. Sleep to repair your cells. Give
yourself time to recove from the last growth spurt. Spiritually, practice
Matthew 11:28[ESV] Come to me, all who
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Rest and rejuvenate
for the growth that is coming.
EXPLORE - Use this time to explore
without committing. A friend once advised me, when I found myself getting
restless, to get a poster board and start gluing pictures of things or scenes
that spoke to me. It’s a way to visualize and reflect. It helps crystalize
thoughts that are still embryonic. It puts dreams to paper. It builds a vision
of whatever may be coming next. You may prefer to journal. Or talk to a friend.
Or experiment with a new hobby. Or take a class just for fun. As you explore,
don’t get attached to any one idea, but stay open. And if you pray, cover your
explorations in prayer. Proverbs 16:9 [ESV] The
heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
WAIT – Don’t rush the process. A
season of dormancy will end naturally when all the conditions are right. If
patience isn’t your virtue of choice, this is the hardest part. Scripture has a
lot to say about that particular fruit of the Spirit, patience. I love the way
Paul encouraged the church about the patience of hope and expectation in Romans
8:22-25 [MSG]. All around us we observe a
pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply
birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is
arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and
barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting
does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We
are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But
the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
After a few growing seasons in life, we begin to
recognize the patterns. We feel the vacant
sense of dormancy and know a season of personal growth is ahead. It may present its blah self as the boredom of
a child on Sunday afternoon or as the calm before the storm. So the next time
you recognize it, don’t fight it. Rest. Explore. Wait. Something new is about
to grow!
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