“Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24 (CSB)

It’s winter now in SC which to some it may not seem much like winter at all. Admittedly, there are subtle nuances one has to look for closely to truly appreciate this season. The most notable is that everything turns brown and looks rather lifeless. There are exceptions, live oak trees, pine trees and some of the succulents that grow so easily in this coastal soil. It will be several weeks before we will see the first peeks of spring starting with the yellow jasmine that will wind its way through the gray forests. We rarely see snow or ice or hard freezes yet, nature finds a way to rest itself and many things that look like they are dead and hopeless will spring back to life soon.

I came upon this yucca plant the other day. It was a cold winter morning, the sky was gray and even though its leaves were bright green against the dull brown ground, I noticed that there were these dried fruits that looked like seed pods and it reminded me of what Jesus said about Himself in the Gospel of John. He was predicting His own death. Those who loved Him didn’t want to hear anything about death, but He told them the parable above. What He understood and was trying to get the Disciples to understand is that it was necessary for Him to die so that the seed of salvation could be planted for the whole world. They didn’t understand it at the time, but later it probably became more clear to them. It was his sacrificial death that would usher in a new era in which anyone who believed that He did die for our sins, would receive new life and the promise of an eternal hope in heaven.

The past two winters have been tough with so much sickness and deaths all around us. This winter is already shaping up to be more of the same. It can be hard to see the good in this season, but what Jesus says is true. New growth happens because a plant has produced seeds that fall to the ground. For that to happen it must bloom, develop its unique seed whether by blooms or fruits, and then die so that the seed can fall to the ground. A gardener understands that unless you pluck the dead blooms off the bush, it will not thrive. There have been times in my life that almost as soon as one family member dies, another announces that they are about to have a baby. This is the cycle of life that God created.

Winters can be unpredictable. We never know exactly how long they will last or how harsh they will be, but they are just a season that we go through. Winters help us appreciate the beauty of Spring and bring the anticipation of the remainder of seasons in the year. Life moves through seasons as well. I don’t know how long this season of virus and death will last, but the yucca plant reminded me that after this, there is a promise for new growth, new life and gave me hope for the next season to follow. In am resolved to wait patiently on God and the next season that will come, a season of fruitfulness and growth.