Seasons

By: Pam Jones

Ecclesiastes 3:1: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

It’s that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the nights longer and the leaves are falling. Here in southwest Pennsylvania, we experience all four seasons and I love it. I have a sense that again this year, winter will be ushered in all too quickly. As season turns into season, year after year, time changes things.

Wasn’t it just yesterday when I had three little girls at home to care for? Now, those girls have families of their own to take care of. Just as I can’t keep the leaves from falling to the ground, I cannot change the seasons of my life. Would we really want to change them?

If I had been able to keep those three girls from growing up, would it have been the best for them or me? I absolutely love being the mom of adult women, but it has required some adjustment. The leaves don’t fall before they change from green to a beautiful color. Life changes are a process but can also be a beautiful thing.

Seasons happen when the earth axis points toward the sun. It is summer for that hemisphere. When it points away, winter can be expected. It is simple science. We can go into winter kicking and screaming and sometimes I do. But it doesn’t change a thing. So, what can we do?

• Learn to celebrate the season.   

Try to find something you can do to get through your current season. For instance, in winter, enjoy the snow, snuggle with hot chocolate at home, decorate your home for Christmas, etc.

When you are in a winter type season in your life, try to celebrate something about the season. This season might bring illness, loss of your youth, difficult financial time, or aging parents. I might not look or feel the way I did in my 30s, but I am thankful for the opportunity to be the age I am. Some people don’t get that gift. Neither of my parents lived to be 70, so celebrate those aging parents and the gift of everyday.

• Don’t rush the season!   

I remember so well when my girls were small, we were homeschooling. There were days that I thought we would never be finished with school! When your child is small, the days get long and it is all you can do to make it through the day. Trust me, the days are long, but the years are short! I had well-meaning people tell me that when my kids were little, but I just didn’t fully understand until they were almost grown.

Don’t rush the season you are in. It is totally natural to want to get to the next thing. It will come soon enough, and you will only have the memories. Whether it is children, aging parents, waiting on a job…don’t rush through it. Allow God to walk with you.

• Learn from each season.

I may not have always been the best learner, but I tried to glean valuable lessons from the hard seasons. Evaluate what God might be teaching you during this challenging time.

I’m a summer girl! I love vacation, travel, swimming, 4^th of July, and sun!! But if I never go through fall, winter and spring, I will never realize how wonderful summer can be!

You might be a fall person. But if the green leaves don’t die, they will never turn those beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges.

The different seasons serve a purpose. They can all be helpful. As much as I dislike winter, the snow we get helps our grass stay a beautiful green all summer long. Learn through the hard stuff. It won’t last forever.

Seasons. I’m learning to embrace them and be content with life. Just as I raised three daughters, helping all of them with schooling, boyfriend issues, broken hearts, weddings, and getting used to motherhood. I know more changes will come for them and for myself. We can’t stop the seasons or even slow them down.

One constant I have had my whole life is Jesus. He has been with me since I was 10 years old. He was with me through early adulthood. He has been with me through heartache and the loss of my parents. Jesus is the constant!

Your parent, sibling, spouse, children, and grandchildren will love you, but there is no person that will love you like Jesus. He will go with you through every season. He is the only one who can do that!