What Season Are You In?

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There are seasons of creation. Each “season” is both literal and it also can represent a “season” where one is in life. Seasons in creation are meant to be moments of renewal and transition. Embedded in creation seasons are desires to sit, to grow, to change, and to bring new life. Though each season is different, all are preparation periods for what is next. Seasons in our lives are invitations to hold, to learn, to refine, and to savor.

When I think of winter, I think of these descriptors: cold, cloudy, dark, and snowy (moisture). Winter is when we have less daylight and less time outside because of the cold temperature. Yet winter is also a time in which the ground receives the moisture it needs when the snow melts. Winter can sometimes be brutal for someone like me, who is very active because I cannot do everything I love. Though winter forces us to slow down, it also gives us time to be present with others and to enjoy the indoors.

Spring is a time of new plants, new blossoms, new vibrant colors, and the start of longer days! In spring, we begin to have time in the evening to be outside again and the temperatures to enjoy being outside again. Though spring is unpredictable, it is a time of renewal and growth. These can give us new hope, new confidence, and new life. Spring gives us new purpose and excitement for the time to come. We can see the change in our lives and move forward in hope.

Summer is a time of sunshine, growth, and warmth. This is a season of growth and development in creation. This is when the plants of a farmer or a gardener grow and start producing fruit. Summer is a time of significant change and transition to new life. It is a time of preparation in order to remind you of the hardness of winter and of the new life of spring. It can be hot and challenging sometimes, but the blessing of summer is long days! In this exciting and wonderful season, we must remember and reflect on where we have come from to see the Lord in the goodness of our lives.

Autumn represents change, vibrant warm colors, and cooler weather. Autumn can be a time of relief from the heat and humidity. This season is one of change and of transition. Autumn is when the leaves are changing, bringing beautiful colors, yet at the same time; plants are becoming dormant. This is the transition in our lives from goodness to something complex and challenging that stays for a while. It is also, for some, a time of harvest—a time of gathering and giving.

Like in our passage today from Ecclesiastes, there is a season for everything and one of which you are processing now. Seasons are meant to be times to prepare, to reflect, and to move forward. They are to be moments of renewal and transition. Seasons in our lives are invitations to hold, to learn, to refine, and to savor. What are you holding today? What are you learning in this season? How is the Lord purifying you?

As you reflect on the seasons of creation, what season are you in now?

Prayer:

Father, as I reflect on what you've done in the past and are currently doing in this season, may my reflection lead to a deeper relationship with you. May my reflection point to you. I pray that you will give me eyes to see your goodness in this season of life. I pray that I can live in a place of love, gratitude, and patience. Amen.