Seasons.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to rebuild. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speed up. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
Cool nights, allergies and Halloween stores opening on every corner are telling me that Fall is coming! I love the fall. I love everything about it. I love fall decorations, and fall scents, and cider mills, and college football. It's my favorite time of year. I especially love red leaves. My family will roll their eyes at me because I point out every red tree I see, in awe of it's beauty. "Yes, mom. That one is so beautiful too. Mhmm... that one is just as beautiful as the last one you pointed out." I don't have any red trees in my yard. I need one. My next door neighbor has one that I absolutely love to look at every morning out my back doorwall. I embrace fall. But then it ends.
I don't embrace Winter quite so much. I have a 45 minute commute to work every morning on a good day. There have been winter days where that commute has turned into 2-3 hours. I do love Christmas, and I think that if you read and really study the above scripture what it's trying to say is that the winter season should end directly after Christmas. (Kidding.)
But beyond the four seasons, we also go through seasons in our lives. I'm currently in the "flat broke parent of a college student" season. This is one that's hard for me to embrace. Do you have any idea how much a semester of textbooks cost me? Not to mention all the things we needed to buy for her to live on her own. (Listen, I'm taking donations. If you feel the need to help a sister out, I'm happy to send you my address.) A few months ago I received a significant promotion at work, and at that time I was in a pretty good financial season.
I have been in seasons of grief. Thankfully I have not known the devastating grief of the loss of a spouse, or a child. But I have lost loved ones and grieved. I've been in a season of grief for the last year, preparing for my daughter Madison to go away to college. I have been in seasons of absolute joy. When I met my husband, I had never been happier. He is 100% my other half. I had never laughed, or loved harder. Getting to know him was one of the absolute happiest times of my life. Young, in love, having so much fun. He took me on road trips and introduced me to new music. Our only care in the world was making sure we could spend as much time together as possible. In the last 20 years, we have had our good and bad seasons together too.
My point is this: no matter what season you're in, it's changing. It's not permanent.
If you're in a season right now of grief, or depression, or financial struggles, or medical problems... whatever it is, know that it's not permanent. It's not hopeless. Work through it. Don't lose sight of your faith. Romans 8:28 tells us 'And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.' He's working it out for you. Let Him! A lot of the seasons we go through make us think that He has forgotten us. I promise you He hasn't. You may not be able to see the purpose now, but He's causing it to work out for your good. You may never understand the purpose of the things you've endured. But know this; your season is not permanent. If you're in your time of grief, know that your time to dance is coming.
If you're in a season full of love, joy, prosperity, with a healthy family, and no problems to speak of... that is great! I don't want to be Debbie-Downer here, but let me tell you this season is not permanent either. Be thankful for it. Embrace it. Learn to be gracious, and kind, and have empathy for those who are in one of the not-so-good seasons. Help the elderly man carry groceries to his car. Give the humiliated mom with the screaming toddler in the middle of Target an empathetic smile, or even a "we've all been there; you're doing great." That man behind you in traffic who's honking, and throwing his hands up and cussing you out? The one who gives you the urge to just put your car in park and let him sit behind you? You don't know his story. You don't know where he's trying to get to. I know when I got the call that Madison was in a car accident, I was that person. My road to get to her is a 2 lane road. One lane was closed for construction. They had the man in the neon green vest standing on the side of the road changing the sign from "Slow" to "Stop" to only allow one direction of traffic go at a time. This crazy momma drove around all of it on the shoulder! I know everyone sitting in that traffic was thinking "What a jerk! She can't wait in the traffic like the rest of us?" They didn't know my story. They didn't know that I had just gotten the most terrifying call of my life and I NEEDED to get to my baby. Show some grace. Encourage someone. Soon enough your season will change and you'll need that grace and encouragement.
Cool nights, allergies and Halloween stores opening on every corner are telling me that Fall is coming! I love the fall. I love everything about it. I love fall decorations, and fall scents, and cider mills, and college football. It's my favorite time of year. I especially love red leaves. My family will roll their eyes at me because I point out every red tree I see, in awe of it's beauty. "Yes, mom. That one is so beautiful too. Mhmm... that one is just as beautiful as the last one you pointed out." I don't have any red trees in my yard. I need one. My next door neighbor has one that I absolutely love to look at every morning out my back doorwall. I embrace fall. But then it ends.
I don't embrace Winter quite so much. I have a 45 minute commute to work every morning on a good day. There have been winter days where that commute has turned into 2-3 hours. I do love Christmas, and I think that if you read and really study the above scripture what it's trying to say is that the winter season should end directly after Christmas. (Kidding.)
But beyond the four seasons, we also go through seasons in our lives. I'm currently in the "flat broke parent of a college student" season. This is one that's hard for me to embrace. Do you have any idea how much a semester of textbooks cost me? Not to mention all the things we needed to buy for her to live on her own. (Listen, I'm taking donations. If you feel the need to help a sister out, I'm happy to send you my address.) A few months ago I received a significant promotion at work, and at that time I was in a pretty good financial season.
I have been in seasons of grief. Thankfully I have not known the devastating grief of the loss of a spouse, or a child. But I have lost loved ones and grieved. I've been in a season of grief for the last year, preparing for my daughter Madison to go away to college. I have been in seasons of absolute joy. When I met my husband, I had never been happier. He is 100% my other half. I had never laughed, or loved harder. Getting to know him was one of the absolute happiest times of my life. Young, in love, having so much fun. He took me on road trips and introduced me to new music. Our only care in the world was making sure we could spend as much time together as possible. In the last 20 years, we have had our good and bad seasons together too.
My point is this: no matter what season you're in, it's changing. It's not permanent.
If you're in a season right now of grief, or depression, or financial struggles, or medical problems... whatever it is, know that it's not permanent. It's not hopeless. Work through it. Don't lose sight of your faith. Romans 8:28 tells us 'And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.' He's working it out for you. Let Him! A lot of the seasons we go through make us think that He has forgotten us. I promise you He hasn't. You may not be able to see the purpose now, but He's causing it to work out for your good. You may never understand the purpose of the things you've endured. But know this; your season is not permanent. If you're in your time of grief, know that your time to dance is coming.
If you're in a season full of love, joy, prosperity, with a healthy family, and no problems to speak of... that is great! I don't want to be Debbie-Downer here, but let me tell you this season is not permanent either. Be thankful for it. Embrace it. Learn to be gracious, and kind, and have empathy for those who are in one of the not-so-good seasons. Help the elderly man carry groceries to his car. Give the humiliated mom with the screaming toddler in the middle of Target an empathetic smile, or even a "we've all been there; you're doing great." That man behind you in traffic who's honking, and throwing his hands up and cussing you out? The one who gives you the urge to just put your car in park and let him sit behind you? You don't know his story. You don't know where he's trying to get to. I know when I got the call that Madison was in a car accident, I was that person. My road to get to her is a 2 lane road. One lane was closed for construction. They had the man in the neon green vest standing on the side of the road changing the sign from "Slow" to "Stop" to only allow one direction of traffic go at a time. This crazy momma drove around all of it on the shoulder! I know everyone sitting in that traffic was thinking "What a jerk! She can't wait in the traffic like the rest of us?" They didn't know my story. They didn't know that I had just gotten the most terrifying call of my life and I NEEDED to get to my baby. Show some grace. Encourage someone. Soon enough your season will change and you'll need that grace and encouragement.
"Let me hold the door for you.
I may have never walked a mile in your shoes,
but I can see your soles are worn and your strength is torn
under a story that I have never lived before.
After all that you've walked through, it's the least I can do."
~Morgan Harper Nichols
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