Hello Church!

Some people love winter… some of us tolerate it.

By this time of February I am done, ready for Summer… Spring will be fine, but for me, Summer is where it’s at.  

With this disposition it can be a time I find little energy for hope.  

While hope isn’t a “Fruit of the Spirit," to me, it can feel still like a product of being filled with the Spirit. I’m looking for hope in that God hasn’t abandoned me to a sunless and cold existence. To think this way feels like a discipline at times for me… like I consciously work to think that the way things are at the moment may not last forever, and in my sunless and cold condition, God sees me.

This discipline can be hard work at times and God has given me a tool to keep me moving towards hope. That tool is that every day, in Southeast Michigan, in mid-February, we gain about 3 more minutes of light each day. Now this may not sound like a lot, but that’s over 20 minutes a week and by the end of the month, we’re pushing around an hour more. For me, this slow accruing of more daylight, helps. It helps me have hope that winter won’t last forever.

Now, you may love winter… and to you I say, “Enjoy it!”  

If you’re like me, and need some hope, know God sees you and He gives you 3 more minutes of light each day to remind you.

Grateful for the sun,

Graig Austin, on Behalf of the Elder and Minister Team