Life in darkness

Sometimes our lives reflect the seasons of the earth. During winter, when the trees appear to be dead, beneath the surface there is actually unseen growth happening, in preparation for spring. The darkness is necessary for new life to come.  Sometimes in our lives we have periods of darkness, when it seems like new life will never come. And yet, even in that dormancy, God is at work, preparing us to embrace new life. When has your life reflected this process?