Seasons are a part of life. Just as the leaves turn to rusty hues and the cold winds blow away the warmth, so do our lives change. There are times of darkness, times of light, days to plant and years to reap.
The waiting season
Sometimes, the season we are in is not exactly what we planned. We may feel that this is not what we thought God had in mind for us. It can feel frustrating when we are in a waiting season. Maybe you are waiting for a job, a child, or marriage. Maybe you are just in a season where God seems silent, or your calling and your life seem disconnected. I have felt this way often. I remember being in college and wondering if this was really where God wanted me. I was young, passionate, energetic and eager to DO! But God said to wait, for He had some things to teach me first.
I wonder if He ever felt like He just wanted to go DO
I’m feeling this now, as I have two small children at home. I see exciting opportunities for work and ministry, but God is telling me to wait. Right now, the most important job I have is to teach my children to love Jesus. I know this, and yet, I become impatient. I become bored and unsettled. It’s difficult waiting for God’s green light. I often wonder if Jesus ever felt this way. He didn’t officially start His ministry until age 30. I wonder if He ever felt like He just wanted to go DO, but God told Him to wait. Jesus didn’t have an impatient spirit, like me, but He may have felt the urgency and excitement to get started.
Use the seasons
Paul tells us to be content in all things, so we must use these seasons to learn patience, trust and, perhaps, to just rest in the Lord. I have found that some of the richest, unexpected moments can come during these seasons.
Everything God has ordained has a meaning and an important purpose
Each season has a purpose that God has ordained. You cannot win the soccer game if you skip the weeks of practices. You won’t write a novel if you don’t start by writing a few paragraphs. You cannot grow a tomato if you never plant the seed. You won’t make a new friend if you don’t say hello. Everything God has ordained has a meaning and an important purpose. No season will last forever. The summer will fade. The hot sun will burn out and be replaced by blazing leaves. We can’t skip autumn to get to winter, and we can’t skip our own life phases. Each one can be beautiful.
“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
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