I enjoy a change in season. Unlike much of the USA which enjoy four seasons, I have primarily lived in California cities with only two seasons: hot or rainy. At one point, I lived in a town located in the foothills which received a very slight amount of snow annually. Waking up to the light dusting of snow was magical!
Currently, I live in the desert and am enjoying the rapid temperature drop ushering in Fall, which will quickly turn into a mild winter (and rain if we are lucky!). The leaves are changing color as green chlorophyll degrades. The hidden carotenoid pigments are revealed, making the leaves a brilliant yellow and orange. The morning air is crisp and apples are in season. What a great time of year!!!
My husband and I were recently reading Ecclesiastes and were reminded of the reality of seasons of life.
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven;
Ecclesiastes 3:1
This passage of scripture (made famous by The Byrds in 1965) goes on to talk about the myriad of life events which make up the whole of life. But the word “season” in scripture is different than the general idea of time which “season” usually implies.
Season is referring to an appointed occasion. Everything has a predestined time; there is specificity in the ways that our lives roll out. Just like the seasons on a calendar, a season of life has a beginning and an end. Each appointed season is set in history by the wise providence of the One who controls time.
The apostle Paul declares,
“He (God) has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;”
(Acts 17: 26-27)
God, who is the author of all history, has placed each individual in time and geography purposefully. With that placement will come unique challenges and events. I often reflect on the fact that the the season of history we are currently in (no matter where we are geographically) is a uniquely difficult one. It is not an accident that any of us were born into a time such as this.
Seasons of trial, in particular, have a way of making me grope for the Lord. I am so thankful when I am in the midst of a trial I have assurance this season will come to an end. I don’t know how or when it will end but I KNOW it will end. When I look back in retrospect, I can always see God was with me, leading me all along.
I often don’t understand why I am in a particularly difficult season but I am getting better at letting go faster…
- Letting go of my expectations
- Letting go of my rights
- Letting go of the need to understand why particular things are taking place
- Letting go of my desire to change my circumstances
I am getting better at trusting the Lord in the midst of the season of trial. With that trust comes a willingness to enjoy life and be thankful, in spite of my outward circumstances.
Like the leaf in this picture, life can often feel like I’m hanging on by a thread. And like this leaf, I often didn’t do anything to get myself into the situation which seems precarious at best.
But unlike this leaf, I am being upheld by the hand of Almighty God who will safely bring me through every season of life.
God truly does make everything beautiful in its time.