Surviving Life’s Cold Snaps

These azaleas sustained some damage during a late spring cold snap.

We had a cold snap last week. It was rather late in the spring and there were quite a few things blooming that sustained some damage. There were a lot of people who had decided to go ahead and put out their summer plants like Impatiens. Some people had even planted summer veggies. After all, it had been in the eighties the week before. Surely, they reasoned, spring had at last, sprung.

My granddaddy always said it was safe to plant after Easter, but we should always be prepared for one last cold snap before Easter. I never understood how that could apply to Easter in March and Easter in April, but that’s what he always said. Like the good southern girl that I am, I always try to take the advice of folks with gray hair, so I had not planted anything yet.

These azaleas, however, were already in bloom. They had blossomed under the early hot weather and were truly beautiful. When a cold front that dropped into the thirties, came screaming through, the delicate blossoms didn’t make it. It’s an established plant with very strong roots, so it survived, but it lost its blooms.

I think our lives can be affected by cold snaps too. Sometimes, we are cruising along and the weather is gorgeous. There’s not a cloud in sight and the temperatures are balmy and perfect. Then an unexpected cold snap comes screaming through. We lose a job or get a serious diagnosis or file for divorce or lose someone we love. Life is full of cold snaps.

The damage we sustain depends largely on the roots of our faith. If our roots run deep enough, our blooms may suffer, but our hearts and souls remain intact. We know that the snap will pass and that God holds us in His hands and beautiful weather will eventually return.

These azaleas were covered by trees and their blooms weren’t affected at all.

Then there were these azaleas. These azaleas grow under some oak trees. The trees provided protection for them and their blooms were untouched by the cold. The Bible can offer us spiritual protection during life’s cold snaps and even our blooms can continue to shine in adversity.

When we are like Impatiens or newly planted vegetables, it’s much harder to survive the cold snaps. Those plants are tender and new and we have to rush around and cover them with something physical when the temperatures drop. It’s a lot of work to even keep them alive, much less get them to thrive. They don’t have the deep roots or cover.

I want to strive to be like the azaleas under the trees, growing deep roots of faith and using the truth of the Bible for cover. I wan to be prepared for life’s cold snaps. Care to join me? What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂