Transitional Seasons Bring Rain

Transitional seasons bring rain. They can feel endless, sad, and cold. But there’s good news about the rainy season.

April showers bring May flowers, so the saying goes. Well, if this is true, then May in Minnesota will have blooming flowers everywhere! We’ve had plenty of rain this month. In fact, it’s raining while I write. Pouring actually. 

I’ve complained about the rain and cold this month. While April is a transitional month, it can take a bit for Spring to finally say to Winter, “Enough! Move out of my way. It’s my turn now!” But this April isn’t cooperating very well with Spring. In fact, according to National Weather Service data, April 2022 may end up being the second-coldest April in Minnesota in 60 years.

And while most of Minnesota was in a drought in 2021, we are making up for it this month. By the time today ends, we may have another inch of rain to add to the month’s totals, which I’m guessing will be 3-5+ inches depending on where you live in Minnesota. But I’m not a meteorologist, so I’m not keeping exact data. I just know it’s rained a lot this month.

Thankfully, it’s not just my imagination. It really has been colder and rainier this month. So, there’s a reason I still have my space heater warming my feet under my desk and my curly hair continues to frizz outside.

Spring is Coming!

When the weather starts warming and everything starts blooming, guess who’s going to be rejoicing? Me! I bet you will too. Go ahead, raise your hand. When winter season overstays it’s welcome, and we finally experience seventy degrees, sunshine, and green everywhere, we lift our faces toward the sky, smile, and celebrate.

However, a transition happens between winter and spring. And we don’t typically enjoy this transition. We just want the new season to begin. We want the flourishing flowers, sunshine, and warmth right now. 

The funny thing is, we need rain in order to have tulips, daffodils, and lilacs. We need the rain to soak into the ground in order for grass to grow and turn green. Truthfully, we need the rain to help the trees bud and flourish with green leaves later on.

Yet, when it’s constantly raining, cold, and windy, we struggle and often complain. It’s hard to endure the transitional month between winter and spring because winter can be so hard. We’re ready for the new season to be fully here. 

Unfortunately, we have to walk through and experience the transition season first. So it goes with transitional seasons in our personal lives too.

Transitional Seasons Bring Rain

Maybe you are experiencing a transitional season in your life right now. Could be you’ve left one job and are waiting for a new job to begin, or you just retired and aren’t quite sure how you’ll fill your days. Have you sold your house and now you’re living in a temporary location until you have a permanent home again? Are you transitioning from being married to divorced? Or maybe you’ve recently become widowed. Perhaps you are transitioning from having your house filled with kids to being an empty-nester. The list is endless.

Transitional seasons are the rainy seasons in our lives. While they can feel unending, sad, and cold, they are necessary. Now, I don’t like being the bearer of bad news, but throughout our lives, we will have many rainy seasons. 

The good news is God reassures us there’s a purpose for the rainy season and the clouds that shower down on us. 

“You heavens above, rain down my righteousness;
    let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
    let salvation spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
    I, the Lord, have created it.

Isaiah 45:8 (NIV)

God creates everything. He created the rainy season too, so that salvation will spring and righteousness will flourish. How can we truly flourish with new growth in our lives if we never get rained on?

Cooperating or Complaining?

Are we cooperating with God through the transitional season? Or are we complaining during the rainy season?

As I’ve confessed, I’m guilty of complaining. Maybe you are too. But what if we instead looked up to the heavens and saw the beauty in the rain? Would the clouds that hover over you turn into glorious celebrations? Would you be able to see how God is pouring down His righteousness onto you during the transitional season because He intends for you to grow? 

Can you believe He plans to open up your life in a new way and see you flourish in your new season?

God created the heavens and earth, the wind, rain, clouds, and sun. He created us too. He knows He will lead His children through transitional seasons and we should know we can trust Him.

I’ve learned transitional seasons can be long, but then again, sometimes they are short. We don’t know how long they will last or the day God will turn off the rain, clear the clouds, and open the new path, but we can be sure He will. 

We need to decide if will we cooperate with God or if will we complain about our transitional season. Our decision will impact ourselves and others during our rainy seasons.

God’s Righteousness Rains Down

God tells us to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances, even in the rainy season. This is His will for us. One way we can do that is to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Whatever transitional season you may be experiencing right now, just know it is temporary. 

I hope you know the rainy season will end. The transitional season has its boundary just like the oceans. God only lets it go on for so long. Then He stops it. God will stop the rain one day. He will. Winter will end. The rainy season will end. And Spring will enter in all its glory.

The same will happen for you whatever transitional season of life you may be experiencing. Until then, choose to fix your eyes on Him. Rejoice, pray, and let God’s rain in your life feed your soul. Soak it all in so you can flourish in the next season of your life.