Winter into spring
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19
It’s nearly February and so spring is around the corner! This week I saw the first daffodils in bloom on a roundabout in Farnborough, and it made me very happy!
As we move through the seasonal calendar, I’m only too aware that we each find ourselves in different seasons of life as well.
Winter is of course not all bad, it’s a necessary time when God is often doing things under the surface, things we cannot see. But also I’m aware that in both the real seasons and in our lives, winter can feel long, it can feel lonely, and it can feel gloomy and dark.
As Christians we have hope that death – winter – is not the end. That new life grows from death, that there is hope in what is to come.
As we have entered this year at church there have been many people who have shared with me excitement for what God is doing, or that we sense what God is about to do. I’m really excited about what is to come, however that’s another blog post for another day! I’m only too aware that there are also some people who find themselves in the dead of winter in their personal life, and facing hard situations. We carry a lot in our personal lives, and over the last month we have been journeying some themes both on Sundays and mid-week, that may stir up a lot in some of us. If the themes we have been exploring have touched upon areas of your life where there is some pain or confusion, or it feels like ‘winter’ for any reason’, I’d encourage you to begin to process that in community. Below are some ideas for how you may choose to do that;
Reach out to a trusted friend. You don’t have to share anything or everything with them, but there is power in prayer and so ask them to be praying for you in the season you find yourself in.
Ask one of our prayer team to pray for you on a Sunday, fill out a prayer card or email kerithcare.farnborough@kerith.church with a prayer request – again, you don’t need to share any more detail than you wish to.
Reach out to me or any of the leadership team if you would appreciate some support from our volunteer Kerith Care pastoral team. This is a team that we are looking to develop this year and I will share more on that another time. But there are people who would be privileged to walk alongside you.
Speak to me if you would like help with signposting to other charities or organisations that have a specialism in an area where you may need support. They will carry a level of expertise that I, or our Kerith Care team volunteers, may not. We would love to help you connect with the right support. I have a signposting document I can share, that’s not an exhaustive list (it’s always being added to!), but it’s a start that may contain the next step in accessing the right support.
We also have signposting to several counselling services. We recognise that counselling is a costly financial investment and that for many, it’s unaffordable. We do have some church funds to help those who cannot access counselling for financial reasons and so there is a possibility we could support a few sessions – please do get in touch if you’d like to know more. However, often people have situations that would need ongoing sessions, that would go beyond what we can financially support. There are charities and agencies that offer free counselling and we would love to signpost you to them if needed.
Lastly – I’d encourage you to stay in close community with Jesus as you work through things with Him.
As we journey through these winter seasons of life together, we know that church isn't just about the highs; it’s also a place where we process the lows. Let’s continue to be real with one another, loving well as we keep our eyes focused on the One who brings freedom, wholeness, and healing to us all.
Sonia
Kerith Farnborough Site Pastor