CH 24 Seasons

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
I could have titled this section patience, or waiting upon the Lord. I chose seasons because of my own appreciation of the seasons of the year in my home state of Kansas. Life is so much like the seasons. Each season has its benefit and its drawback, so does each season of life. It is important for us to share the wisdom God gives us so that others can make more effective use of the seasons of life.

The spring of life has its promise. The innocence of what we want to accomplish without the cynicism that comes when we are rebuffed. Spring brings the greening of grass and the beauty of flowers. The beauty of life’s spring is in the growth we can achieve with the Lord’s guidance.

Summer brings the warmth and the maturity of everything around us. In the summer of our life we peak as a productive person. Our energy is there to do great things in each area of life. In the summer of our life we seem invincible to ourselves. If we aren’t careful we will be so self-sufficient we may leave the Lord out of our life. Later, we will understand how much we need Him.

Fall brings its wonderful colors and the promise that winter is just a step away. In the fall of our life we understand our mortality. The physical part of our life begins to show weakening. We understand our dependence and start to appreciate what we have had and what we still can accomplish. Sometimes in the fall of our life we begin to feel inadequate. We might allow ourselves to be “put on the shelf” as my pastor K.B. Murray puts it. In reality, because of the experiences we have been allowed, we have a chance for great service at this point in life. The Salvation Army has a motto, “Saved to serve.” If we keep this in mind, God has great plans for us in the fall of our life.

Winter brings cold, snow and often limits our mobility for periods of time. The winter of our life sometimes forces us to serve in a different way. Some are even fortunate enough to notice little change in opportunity to serve. For those limited physically supporting programs and being a prayer warrior gives those experiencing other seasons a real boost. God never totally removes us from the opportunity for services. We often come to a place where we don’t allow Him to lead us into new paths of service. The challenge is to daily be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction in our life. God has created each of the seasons of our life; with them He also has a purpose.