As I look out my office window this morning, all I can see is lots and lots of rain coming down with no end in sight. I am beginning to wonder if it’s really the beginning of spring – LOL.
A season is a division of the year marked by changes in weather, ecology, and amount of daylight. Aren’t seasons interesting? I mean, we all seem to have a favorite one, or even two. My favorite season is fall because I just LOVE all the vibrant colors and fantastic smells that are in the air….not to mention all the CUTE fall clothes! EEEK!
Just as the earth goes through different seasons, so do we. In the book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 it reads,
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
Have you found yourself in any of these “seasons” throughout your life? I sure have – more than once! I can think of a few experiences that were very long seasons full of grief, pain and suffering and I have also experienced some happier, lighter seasons overflowing with peace, joy, and love. I believe one season is not any better or worse than the other and both are very necessary in order for growth to occur; especially as we move forward in becoming whom God created us to be.
The harder seasons in life definitely bring about that growth and without them it is very easy to become stagnant, closed-minded, and closed off to the world around us and as a result can miss out on opportunities to bless others and learn. It’s in those hard seasons however, we get to know our selves better, weather we like it or not, warts and all!
Photo by Taha Mazandarani on Unsplash
Likewise, during those lighter more seemingly upbeat seasons is where we get to share from our personal experiences and love on others who might also be going through familiar circumstances. The lighter seasons are also a fantastic time to just simply “be” and enjoy life living and thriving right where we are in that very moment or “season” of life. It’s in these moments where we find deep gratitude and build deeper foundations in our lives for the future.
You will never hear me say that its easy-going through the difficult stuff in life because I know it’s not. But you will hear me encouraging you to not lose hope and to stay the course in the midst of it all. Relying on God, family, and friends during those harder seasons have proven to be the most valuable asset in getting to the other side. I know there are some days where it would just be a lot easier to quit or give up….to just stay in bed all day and stop engaging in life all together. The weight can be so heavy and circumstances can be very overwhelming. Boy do I know that well. I remember feeling hopeless, lost, and ignorant after my youngest daughter was born. She was born with a host of medical issues and disabilities. It was all so overwhelming and I had no idea how to care for her or how to be her mom for that matter.
It was heartbreaking.
During that season, I thought God had abandoned me and I felt very alone. Why would He had given me a child that I had no clue how to care for? I can remember one night in particular, night-time was always the worst, my daughter had stopped breathing and it was up to me to resuscitate her but I panicked instead and starting screaming at my daughter to breathe and then started hollering at God to DO SOMETHING! I finally gathered my thoughts enough and called 911. While waiting for them to arrive, she began breathing on her own again. Nights like these happened off and on for about three years. But it was during that season I had realized I had to make a decision every single day to stop relying on myself and press in to God and not waver in my faith no matter what – some days I succeeded at that and other days I didn’t. And I am okay with that.
There is a season for EVERYTHING! Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. ”
Even if it seems or feels bad or uncomfortable, when God is a part of it, its ALWAYS good and it will all work out for our betterment. And just like the seasons throughout earth come and go, so do the seasons in our lives. In the beginning of that season with my daughter, I found the verses in Ecclesiastes 3 to be very frustrating instead of comforting. Doesn’t God know that I don’t want to go through this? And how about asking the “WHY?” question? OH, how I asked that countless times. I never heard an answer to the “why” but I did learn a lot that I other wise wouldn’t have. I learned to trust, be more empathetic, compassionate, forgiving, flexible, fun, joyful, confident, and overall peaceful. Soon a smile replaced the tears and joy replaced the worry.
As you finish your week, please don’t forget there is a time for every season and everything is made beautiful in its time and it is GOOD!
Undefeated Faith 