“Even As The Seasons Change”: Trusting God In Difficult Circumstances

As the seasons change and the humid Summer sun gives way to the Autumn breeze, there is a sadness that taints the Fall festivities. 

As school begins again and students adjust to living in a dorm, there is a shadow that darkens the days and prolongs the nights.  

The brown and orange leaves begin to fall, and so do spirits, as an umbra of grief pollutes the crisp cool air. 

As the sun ceases to show her face while students walk to class, the surplus of pumpkin-flavored drinks with cup cozies can not eliminate the sorrow that dwells within the heart. 

As the seasons change and the humid Summer sun gives way to the Autumn breeze, may the comfort of God surround you like a knitted sweater.

May His divine presence provide warmth for your soul and joy to your spirit.

• Anais Ramey

The Psalmist, David, felt deep sorrow when he wrote, “I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out…”(Ps. 6:6-7). Such despair steals the joy of everyday life and overshadows every happy moment. With despair so great and seemingly inescapable, what hope is there to find comfort in this season?

As the semester begins, the seasons change, and our workload begins to pick up, it is easy to become overwhelmed with feelings of despair. What if there was another way to handle the challenges of everyday life? Rather than dwelling in melancholy, we can hold firm to the truth that God keeps track of all of our sorrows. He has collected our every tear in His bottle and recorded them in His book (Ps. 56:8). There is not a single tear that falls without His attention. We can rejoice that the creator of Heaven and Earth would dare stoop down from His holy throne and become invested in our lives. When we are lonely or doubtful, we can remember that we have a God who is never far.We can, “give all [of our] worries and cares to God, for He cares about [us]”(1 Pet. 5:7).

Jesus is not a stranger to sadness. During His lifetime, He was well acquainted with the disparities of life. Moments before being crucified Jesus confided in his closest friends. He stated, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matt 26:38). Shortly after, all of His disciples deserted Him. Much like many students on campus, in His time of greatest need, Jesus felt alone. While attending a small college may enhance the social wellness of some, others may still feel alone in a new environment.  On the cross, He used some of His dying breaths to call out to God. He recited David and said, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”(Matt 27:46). We have a God who put on flesh to understand every aspect of His creation, including our complex emotions. He is not a distant God, unaware of what we are going through. 

Our emotions can serve as worship unto God. Longman states, “In Hebrew, the book of Psalms is entitled tehillim, which…means ‘song of praise.’ As we look at the psalms, though, the laments substantially outnumber the songs of praise.” Perhaps this is because even in our moments of deep distress and agony, we can sacrificially offer up our emotions as praise to God. In a moment of grief and shame, King David says to God, “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God” (Ps. 51:17). David understood that God does not reject us in our brokenness. Rather, He asks us to invite Him into it with us. He calls us to bring whatever we have to Him, even if all we have is tears. In bringing our heavy emotions to God, we are trusting that He is worthy enough to hold them; we are worshiping Him. 

God does not promise that we will never experience sadness, grief, or loneliness. Moreover, He does not promise that such emotions will be easy to navigate. We can find comfort in knowing that He is present. Whether you are in your dorm, walking to class, or sitting at ‘The Falls’, remember that God chooses to be with you. When our hearts are overwhelmed with despair, we can hold on to hope that one day God “will wipe every tear…there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things will be gone forever” (Rev. 21:4). In the meantime, we can “praise God for what He has promised…”(Ps. 56:10). We can walk to class and enjoy the beauty of the season with confidence. We can trust that God has heard our plea and He will answer our prayers (Ps. 6:8), even as the seasons change.