After a long frozen winter, or even a shorter season of frozen ground, and amazing season emerges. In the NE it is called "Mud Season". The solid frozen ground gives way to a spongy, soupy mess to any one or anything that is trying to cross it. I had a closeup encounter with mud season myself recently. I was moving rock from one place to another with a cart I have attached to my lawn tractor. I was leaving deep tire marks in the ground, but moving along pretty good until I tried a certain direction. Along the way, and not very far into the process the whole rig stopped, the tires spun into the mud and progress was done. I turned off the tractor, got out into the gloppy mess and started unloading the heavy field stone from the cart. When the cart was totally empty, I inspected the hole I had dug with my tires, leveled them out, and got on the tractor to see what would happen next. What a difference! I was easily able to move along out of the slogging mess to firmer ground. Having learned my lessen, I didn't go that way again.

This morning the whole episode came back to me and I saw some spiritual realities in what was happening.

1. it is a lot easier to get stuck if you are going where you shouldn't be going. The term "spinning your tires" comes to mind. In a spiritual climate that is a lot like mud season we need to stay on firm ground, the pillar and ground of truth that is in Christ Jesus. We need to pay special attention to the instructions of the Lord. Feeling bogged down can lead to being stuck if we try to walk things out in our own wisdom.

2. If you are spinning your tires in mud and going no where, don't keep doing the same thing or more of the same thing thinking you will get our. Stop! With the tractor, I saw I was digging into the mud the more I spun the tires. So I stopped, turned off the rig and got off. It was then that I was able to see what really needed to be done to get out and get on with the project. We need to stop, step aside and let the Lord show us what do to when we are digging in. If we don't we will just keep going deeper and deeper, and it will take even more effort to get out. (Last year I buried the tractor deep into a muddy place by spinning the wheels, thinking that just one more spin would do something to help me out, so I am talking by experience.)

3. I could have negotiated the mud without a problem if I wasn't carrying a lot of extra weight. This was evident when I unloaded the field stone from the trailer. I was able to move along instead of coming to a stop in the mud. In our mud seasons, we need to be sure we are casting all our care upon the Lord (not carrying the extra weight in our own strength). Extra weight will lead to deeper ruts and frequent messy situations that we could avoid if we just practice the simple instructions of the Lord: Take my burden upon you and learn of me, for my burden is light and my yoke is easy.

4. Mud season is that time in between the winter and the spring. Often in our winter season we long for the spring season, and forget there may well be some trials and tribulations, some testings and learning experiences that are necessary to get us to the spring we long for. When we forget this we can be overwhelmed by what happens during this shift. Lets not be discouraged. Spring is almost here, but we need to walk through the mud season to get there. The ground will dry out and the slogging will end. There may be a few deep tracks that you have left along the way in the mud season, but these will only serve to remind you that the Lord brought you through. They will also remind us that next time mud season comes we need to be careful to stay close to the Lord so He can walk it out with us.

Proverbs 4:10-13 (NKJV)
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many. 11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.