‘Would you rather it always be winter or always be summer?’ was the question posed on a recent radio programme. It set me thinking. What were the advantages and disadvantages of each scenario – cold/heat; snow/sun; inside/outside; hot chocolate/ice cream; woolly jumpers/cotton tops; long nights/long days; grey/green; ………death/life?
Not sure that it’s that clear cut. Some say we need the still and rest of winter, during which life is brewing in secret for the summer to be able to burst forth and happen.
God promised after the flood that, ‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.’ Genesis 8:22
It’s all about balance. The key word in the initial question being ‘always’. I wouldn’t want it to be always winter – in spite of the cosiness of reading in front of an open fire – or always summer – in spite of the joy of the warmth of the sun on my shoulders.
God knows what we needs and so provides variety and change, everything in moderation, the best of both worlds. We exchange the certainty and boredom of knowing what each day will bring with the unpredictability and excitement of transition and diversity.
Having to respond to sudden changes provokes growth and counteracts complacency. Would you rather it always be winter or always be summer?