Transcription
Hi, welcome to Hava's podcast. I'm Havala Cunnington, and today we're jumping into the season of winter, your spiritual season of winter.
Now, before we get started, I have something for you. Yes, I'm giving gifts already. Listen, there is a test that you can take in the show notes, or you can go to havaington.com/seasons to take the test. And for many of us, we assume what we're in, but you might not be in that season. And so, go take that test; go find out what season you're in.
But most importantly, you might be thinking, "I know what season I'm in." And you might be thinking, "I'm gonna wait until she does the other season that I'm in, and then I'll enjoy that part." But here's the truth: If you don't understand each season, it doesn't matter how great you're thriving in one season. If you don't know what season you're in, you can really destroy the next season by not knowing how to prepare or what's coming next. Or you can kind of be a bad friend because your friend might be in this season and you're not aware that they need you to know this, or your spouse needs you to know this.
So, we're going to jump into winter, and let me ask you a question: Have you ever prayed your guts out? I mean, like begged God for an answer, and you got nothing? Just silence. Crickets. I know I have. And sometimes it feels like God is straight up ghosting me, or ghosting you, right? It's like, "Where are you, God?" But why is God so quiet? Are we missing something?
Well, if I had told my younger self this, I would have said, "He's not ghosting you. The season has shifted, and you need to lean in and understand the season that you're in." So, let's talk about when God goes quiet. What do we do when it feels like nothing we do is growing, nothing we do is happening, and it just feels like we're stuck in the middle of this relentless spiritual winter?
So, most importantly, winter is like the season that nobody asks for. It's like, I don't—nobody wants to go through winter. I mean, I love winter; I love skiing; I love all that. But, do I want to live in winter? No. Do I want to vacation in winter? Yes. Do I want to live in winter? No. I don't want to live in winter. So, again, winter's one of those seasons that nobody—nobody volunteers for, but it just happens. It's kind of quiet; it can often feel kind of cold and like you're alone in this season.
And so, what are signs of a spiritual winter? Well, you usually feel a little spiritually dry. You know, it feels like you're praying, but it just—it's like rockpiling prayer, right? Where you just pray, and you put on the next, and then prayer, and you—it's like the next moment. There's just no momentum. It's hard; it feels like it's effort when you're doing it. And it sometimes just feels like you hit a wall. Sometimes it feels like God is silent in your life. And ultimately, kind of like he's packed up and went on vacation, and he's left you in this season. I know what that feels like. It's like, "God, where are you? I mean, did I—did I miss you? Did I miss the exit? You know, did the car move on without me?" I know that feeling. And often that can be connected to a winter season.
And the truth is, everything that used to work in your spiritual life, it just doesn't anymore. Like I remember when I was in a spiritual winter, it's like I would go into worship, and they wanted to do happy, exuberant songs, and I was like, "I don't want to do that. Like I don't want to jump around. It feels like I'm forced to feel happy and joyful. I don't feel that way right now." Or sometimes it felt like everybody was hearing God and new revelations and new things, and I was like, "Gosh, I haven't heard God in a long time; it just feels kind of dead. It feels like I'm not really hearing him." And also, it feels like the thing that worked before—the favorite book, the favorite Bible verse, the favorite worship song—it just doesn't have that thing that's like life on it like it did before.
And so, sometimes you kind of just feel exhausted in the winter season. You feel like, "I don't know what's going on. I don't know if I'm missing something." But you do start to question a little bit of what you're doing with your life. And that's actually important to do. As much as we don't like questions, actually, God's not afraid of our questions. In fact, when we have questions, it leads us to go deeper and to do the thing—well, to root out what we don't want, but to also decide what we want in our lives.
So, God is not absent; He is working beneath the surface. That's what I want you to understand. Now, it's different if you're walking away from your faith or you're deconstructing your faith. Listen, that's different if you're saying, "I don't know if I believe that God is who he says he is. I don't know if I am who he says I am." That's deconstructing your faith; that's kind of going, "I don't know if I'm really into this." But to be in a winter season, we often can feel a little unhinged or a little unnerved of like what's going on. But there's this grounded faith of God is working behind—beneath the surface. I don't know how, I don't know where, I don't know when, but I trust that—go—if God said it, he's going to do it. And there will be a purpose in this season.
So, ultimately in winter, it's important to understand that you will not see outside growth. You're not going to see a lot of movement and activity and excitement in your life, but you have to understand the growth is hidden, and it's within the root system. Because remember, root systems are the only thing that will keep that plant alive long term. Root systems are where you get water; it's where you get your strength. I mean, the—the taller the tree, the deeper the root system needs to be in order for it to sustain the winds and the rain and the weight and all the things, right? So, a lot of us go, "God, I want you to do something in my life," and he goes, "Let's work on your root system," and we're like, "Well, you know, God—God's forgotten about me; he's not speaking to me," and I'm like, "No, he's working on your character. He's working on the part of you that's in it, not for an emotional experience, not for because it feels good or you see growth, but because you're in it for the right reasons. It's because of faith. 'God, I trust you. I know you're going to do it. You're at work in my life. It's under the—it's under the surface,' but also, 'if you're hiding me this long, you must want my root system to be so strong because of what's coming. What I'm going to be growing in my life is going to require this type of root system.'" That is a very powerful way to function within your winter season. And so, God is not absent, and roots are very important. You may feel stuck, but your faith is being built under the surface.
So, Job 23:8 through 10 says, "When I go forward, he's not there, but he knows the way that I take." I love Job because Job is a winter season type of book. Like if you want to get in the winter and you want to cry with those who cry and you want to sit and talk about bad stories and sad times, go talk to Job. Job's going—he is going to listen; he's going to nod at your sad story and go, "I know. I know; you should listen to this one," because that's how Job's story is. So, if you look at Job, he's like, "Listen, I—where I go, you're not there," and then he kind of ends the verse with this simple, "he knows the way I take." So, it doesn't feel like he's there; doesn't feel like where I'm going, he's there. But I know deep down that he knows where I am, and that's what matters in this season. So, you may not see God working, but he is strengthening your roots.
So, what I want you to do in your winter season—how do you survive winter without losing it? Well, I like to use the acronym REST. Something simple to remember, but the R in REST is to root yourself deep in God's word. Listen, this is going to be your lifeline. The Bible says that the word of God is a lamp unto my feet, right? And—and—and it's the bread of life. Like it's the word of God is the bread of life. Well, I think about the Israelites when they journeyed into the wilderness; they didn't have luscious gardens and orchards and all the things. God gave them manna, bread that fell from the sky that could only be used that day. In fact, they tried to store up the manna, and it got old; it—it didn't work. And so, they had to trust God every single day to drop what they needed in that day to keep them sustained in the wilderness. I think of that in our lives like when we're in a spiritual winter. The idea that we don't have orchards and we don't have this luscious garden—you're right. But he will give us manna. And sometimes it's a simple scripture verse, or somebody who sends us a text message; it's something that just shows, "Okay, God is at work." But I think what's really important is that when you're in the word, we get nourished. So my suggestion is to root yourself in the word. If you're in the winter season, you need to be in the word. And you don't have to be reading it; you could be listening to it; you could be singing it, but you need the word around you to strengthen the—the—the fact and the foundation of your faith that he is who he says he is. And so this is not a time to go into your emo season of worship; it's your season to go, "Okay, I got to root myself into my faith by the word of God."
The E in REST is to embrace the silence. You know, sometimes God is quiet, and it's okay. It doesn't mean he's not speaking to us; he's speaking differently to us. And so, it's very important to be okay that there's a lot of activity other places, but within your spirit, there's a silence; there's a—I almost look at it like a snowfall that's kind of rested on this land, and it looks like it's just covered. And I think that's what it's often like; it's like it's quiet; it's—it's secluded; it's intimate.
Then the S in REST is to store it for the next season. So this is important. When do gardeners plan out their garden? Not in spring. They plan out their garden in winter because gardeners know, "I'm not going to have time. When it's time to plant, I got to plant. When it's time to water, I got to water. And I want to know what I want to grow." So, really incredible gardeners or farmers know that they have to actually think about what they want to grow when there's no harvest. I have a friend who is an apple farmer—I mean, I say apple farmer, but he owns thousands of acres in New York. And it—I was having a conversation with him about harvest, and—and he has apples, and he does all kinds of things, peaches and blueberries and all the things. And I said, "So, how do you plan this out?" And he says, "As a farmer, I have to know what I want to grow seven years out. I have to know in seven years what the market's going to demand and what's going to be important." In fact, two years ago, God gave him this thought that blueberries would be something very significant. So, he said it was—he—nobody understood what he was doing, but he was tearing down orchards and building greenhouses for blueberries. And he said, "Now the market of blueberries have skyrocketed." And he said, "The farmers around me go, 'How did you know?'" And he goes, "I, you know, I just felt like God was telling me to think differently, to plant differently in this season because the harvest will be necessary—a different type of harvest." So, if you're in a winter, don't sit around and, you know, just wait. You need to begin to think, "What do I want to grow? What do I want to build?" This is the time to start writing your book or start thinking about topics or start reading the books you need to read or start volunteering in areas that you want to actually lead in and serve because this is where you begin to grow and begin to actually store up for the next season. Um, I always say it's such a gift to—to build; it's such a gift for God to give you an—anonymity in the middle of a—of a season in your life. If you feel hidden, if you feel like no one knows what you're doing, it's such a gift to build character when no one's watching. It's way harder to watch your character fall when everyone is watching. And so, really think about the value of being hidden.
And then lastly, the T in winter is to trust God—trust God even when we don't see the outcome. So, you know, faith isn't about feelings; faith is a knowing; it's a deep spiritual knowing. You know, I know for me, I sometimes get in moments when it feels like everything's spiraling and feels like I'm not sure what to do. And I found myself just verbally—as I'm on the road and I miss a flight or I get sick over here and things just aren't perfect, right?—I just open my mouth, say, "God, I trust you. God, I trust you," and there's just something about—"God, I trust you." I don't know; I don't know how you're going to work this out, but I trust you. I'd rather have my trust in you and not know what's going on than to trust myself because I have no business leading my life—um—in all these seasons. So, very important.
So, what do we do in winter? In the winter season, here's some survival hacks that I recommend. First, find comfort in the Comforter. You know, in a winter season, we can sometimes make mistakes because we're so busy trying to make God's will happen that we end up marrying the wrong person, buying the business we shouldn't be buying, starting, you know, moving somewhere, whatever it might be. And so, it's very important to say, "Where's my comfort coming from?" If I'm—if my identity is stuck in producing, then I will end up completely sabotaging my winter season by trying to produce when it's not a producing season.
Second is to be intentional about intimacy with God. So what I would say is, yeah, you might not feel like exuberant worship, but you might want to lay on your floor and listen to a worship song and just let God love you and nurture you. I know for me, there's usually a song that just gets my heart in the winter season, and it's on repeat, and I'll just play it in the morning because I just need to hear this one thing, and I know that is enough. God's not asking me—He—most of the time in winter, it's not about mileage; it's about the depth; it's about the—the—the quality of the moment. So, when you're in winter, it's not like, "Okay, did you read 18 chapters? Did you do this? Did you?" No, it's just, "Did you sit for five minutes, turn your heart to God, and say, 'I'm here'?" That is valuable to him—way more than you doing lip service to him. Very, very important.
Thirdly is to embrace rest. You know, you might be jealous of somebody else's growth. You might be going, "Wow, you know, I'd love to be married and have kids, or I'd love to have a business, or I'd love to have a ministry like that." Well, you might not have that right now. So enjoy the rest. Understand that you get to take a weekend off, and they don't. You get to actually have a kid-free week, and they don't. So enjoy that season. Enjoy what God's given you to slow down and not quit.
Also, draw upon what's already been stored. So, one of my favorite things to do in winter is to go back and read my journal or listen to prophetic words that were given to me or listen to—to moments when God impacted me and go back and just sit and read those things because they begin to awaken the remembering of what God did and that he's faithful and he will show up and he's not going to abandon me or you in this moment.
And then lastly, asking God what needs to be plowed. So, there are certain times in winter where it's time to let go of that friendship. I know, right? It's time to change jobs; it's time to say no to certain things. And this is the perfect season to do that because you're not stewarding growth; you're actually able to steward what you want to grow. And that's very important.
So, what are the—what are the common mistakes of winter? Well, here's what you don't do: You don't freak out. Winter can sometimes feel like God's silent and abandoned, but don't freak out. The second mistake is not to isolate yourself. You know, if you're in spiritual winter, don't—don't abandon church; don't abandon your—your Christian friends; don't abandon worship music or the word because you go, "Oh, it just doesn't feel alive." No, don't. That's a mistake in winter. Don't isolate yourself. You don't have to do everything, but do something that's pointed in the right direction. And the third mistake that we often make in winter is we look for escapes. And it's important to understand that you can escape for a day or a weekend, but if it becomes a lifestyle, not good. If your lifestyle is just about the next series on Netflix or just about the next vacation, then I would challenge you: You're not made to just be on vacation; you're not created just to hang out. The Bible says it's good that we work; it's good that we—that we actually put our hand to the things that he's given us and see things grow. That's how we grow confidence.
So, let me encourage you with this: Winter—listen—listen. Winter will not last forever. You might feel like it's a forever winter, but I promise you, as I know in my own life—I thought—just about the time when I thought my whole life is a winter, spring sprung. And so, understand it is not going to last forever. Psalms 35 says, "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning." That's the after effect of—of the darkness and the season changing. And so, it isn't punishment. Winter is not punishment. This is important. I thought God was hiding himself from me because I did something wrong. Stop. That is not true. Winter is not a sign of punishment; it's a sign of preparation. And if you can know the difference, I promise you, you'll do winter better. If you don't think he's removing himself from you, but he's actually pulling you deeper into preparation, you can relax and know, "Okay, there's a purpose in this."
So, what's the lesson? To lean in, to grow deep, and to understand that spring is coming. So, the question I have for you today is simple: What has God already spoken to you that you need to hold on to if you're in winter? What is it? Is it that he'll be faithful? Is it that his promises are true? Is it that he's going to come through? I don't know what it is for you, but you need to actually ask that question. And then I would also probably make a winter survival kit or some kind of plan. And it sounds funny, but I would put together maybe three things that you do that help you stay connected to God in the winter season. Could be that you journal every day; could be that you get up in the morning and listen to worship music for the first 10 minutes; could be that you make sure you go to church every weekend because you know you don't feel like it, but you know, "I got to be in an environment where people—I can borrow other people's faith, right? I can borrow other people's hope and joy."
So, next week we're going to talk all about spring. We're going to talk about fresh starts, and I hope you're ready for it because we're going to talk about what happens when God says the seasons have shifted, and I want you to do something new. All right, you guys, that's it for today. That's the winter season. And most importantly, if you want to take that test, don't forget to go to havaington.com/seasons to get that test and to know what you might be and what spiritual season you're in. If you missed the beginning, go back one episode and learn all about why seasons matter. And then if you're ready, subscribe because we're going to hit spring, summer, and fall in the next couple of weeks. All right, you guys. That's it for now. Thanks for being here, and I'll see you next time.