Do you ever feel like God is really trying to teach you something? It seems like it doesn’t matter where you are or who you’re with, that word or challenge that He is impressing on you just keeps popping up.
Recently I have felt like the word “seasons” has been hitting me like arrows to a bullseye. From all directions, whether metaphorically or literally, “seasons” and their impact has been ever present.
One reason this could be is due to snow storm Stella (try saying that three times fast!). Literally just days before we were covered in that blanket of white, I had shared a picture of the crocuses popping up in my front yard with my family. Now those sweet unsuspecting flowers are buried under a mound of snow.
We experience four very different season here in the north east. It seems like by the time you are tiring of the current one, the next season starts sending clues that it is right around the corner!
Each season has very different characteristics or personality traits. Spring is bursting with new life, hope and color. Summer follows with memories of childhood, taking a break, scorching sun and the taste of sweet watermelon. Fall comes in just at the right time to offer us a cool breeze, a warm drink and an opportunity to harvest all we’ve been cultivating during the previous months. Winter often arrives unexpectedly and without warning. Green is replaced by barrenness and a biting wind. But along with those things come mornings where we wake up to see our little world transformed into a white painting and and along with that a stronger appreciation for warmth and quiet moments.
The Bible uses the metaphor of seasons to help us better understand life. Let’s take a look at one of these passages.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 speaks directly to seasons in our lives. Which “time” can you relate with right now?
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.”
I don’t know what season you are in right now, but I do know you are in one. Some seasons are beautiful, joyful and full of hope. Other seasons seem dry, confusing and lost. Still other seasons come along and leave us gasping for air. We can’t fathom that we will ever experience joy again.
But look back over those verses. A season does not last forever. It’s a season, a “time”. And it’s not a mistake or worthless. God is purposeful, more so than we can ever fathom.
Our calendar is split into four seasons, but we all know the weather doesn’t always obey our calendar. It’s helpful to look at our life seasons in a similar way. We may think that it’s time for this season to be over, or never want the season to change, but that’s up to the Lord. He is orchestrating all things for His Glory, and His timing is best.
Let’s not lose heart. The season you are in right now may seem like it’s been around for years, or maybe you are walking into a new season and fear of the unknown is overwhelming. It could be that you are experiencing the best season you’ve ever known and you never want it to end. No matter what, we need to trust that God knows what is best and that He will give us strength to face one day at a time. There are days when joy is abundant and then there are days where hope is no where to be found, but He is always there. He will never forsake us. Remember, it is just a season. This winter might seem long, but spring is coming. Growth is happening right below the ground. We may not be able to see it yet, but it’s there.
Please join me in thanking God for our seasons and trusting Him with the purpose. It’s amazing what God can teach us when we slow down and listen to those words or challenges He so wants us to hear.