Seasons

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

As I look out my office window, it is easy to think of seasons. The trees are starting to turn colors. Around our yard we have yellow, orange, red, maroon and green leaves. They mark the fall season and yet each tree is also in its own stage of change or season. Some are further along than others. Our pine trees stay green but have been dropping their dead needles. Changes. Seasons.

Sometimes we look forward to the change of seasons. I have a friend who looks forward to summer because it means time on the lake and a three-month break as a teacher. Other times we wish we could skip over a season such as hurricane, tornado or fire. As I write, another hurricane is headed towards the East Coast and fires are raging on the west coast. We can also have a mix of feelings about a season like winter. I love the beauty of fresh fallen snow while I’m warm inside with my hot chocolate. At the same time, I dislike driving in the snow and ice. Or maybe you are like me and love things about each season. However, as the current season continues on, I’m already looking ahead to the next one or counting the days until this season comes around again.

But seasons aren’t just certain months during the year. We have seasons of life that are marked by our ages (childhood, teen, college, single, married and family, middle-age, retirement, old age) and circumstances (changes in job, marital status and health issues, moving, financial loss or abundance, loneliness, caring for or losing a loved one, a trauma, spiritual peaks and valleys). Life is rarely constant for long.

Depending on the season, we may want it to stay that way forever or we may already be plotting and planning how to leap ahead to the next season. Either way, we want to control our seasons instead of trusting God’s sovereign rule and timing in our lives. From Ecclesiastes, we know that there are seasons. We should expect them, but we can also take comfort knowing that God has a purpose for each one. He has ordained seasons for our lives for our good and His glory. God is omniscient. He knows perfectly what we need and when we need it. God is omnipotent. He has the power to provide what we need in each season. He is faithful to His promise to never leave or forsake us. Your current season and ones to come are not an accident or life running amuck.

Psalm 23 is a beautiful illustration of seasons. David went from being the youngest brother and a shepherd to being king of Israel. He was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), but that didn’t make him exempt from spending much of his life fleeing from enemies including his own son and sinning by committing rape and murder. Yet he wrote in Psalm 23 of God’s care and goodness by the green pastures and still waters as well as in the valley of the shadow of death and at a table in the midst of his enemies. Although we know that David did not always trust God’s sovereign plan in his life (I don’t either), this Psalm shows that He knew he could trust God because of who God is. His focus was on immutable (unchanging) God not on his current season.

In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul speaks of good and bad seasons in his life, but again, his focus is not on the season. Paul probably had some pretty “good” days as a Pharisee. He was part of the elite. He had a pristine pedigree (Philippians 3:4-6). But when he came to saving faith, he entered a whole new season with numerous trials and hardships beyond what most of us will ever experience (2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10). His focus in these verses isn’t the trials. It is on God’s grace that is sufficient in his (and our) weakness. Returning to Philippians 4, Paul concludes that he has learned the secret of being content in the good seasons and the bad because God is his strength, his provision for every season.

Content. Continually focusing on greener pastures, trying to usher in the next season on our own and not counting our blessings right now are anything but being content in where God has us. Contentment looks at God, who He is, all that He has already provided for us spiritually, physically and materially and His promises to continue to care for and sanctify us. Contentment has the sure hope that God is working, that our circumstance is not all that there is. Contentment has an eternal perspective, resting in the truth that we will forever be with God and have joy everlasting.

As I think about seasons in my own life, two specific ones come to mind. The first is everything surrounding our moving to and living in Dubai. When my husband told me that his company had asked if he would be willing to move to Dubai, I was adamant we were not. That was not the plan (I’m a big planner). I couldn’t imagine leaving our youth group kids. There wasn’t another leader. Who would disciple them? The Middle East was halfway around the world from our family and friends. My gaze was on the circumstances. I was not content with where God was calling us. I was not trusting Him to provide for our families, youth group kids and friends. I was not expectant of how He could work in and through us in Dubai.

Likewise, as our time in Dubai neared the end, I had to fight to stay focused on what God was still doing while were there. Yes, we did need to make some plans of moving our things back, travel arrangements, where to live, but I found myself only looking forward. I was acting as if our season in Dubai was over when in actuality, God still had us there and was still working.

Dubai ended up being an amazing time for several reasons. New friendships that became family. Discipleship opportunities. I finally had time pursue Biblical counseling studies. God gave us refreshment and renewing that we needed in between Las Vegas and Montana ministry. Part of me didn’t want to leave Dubai because it was such a unique time for me to grow in the grace and knowledge of God.

The second was recent and I wrote about it in my first blog “Expectant.” I’ve had various health issues. The chronic fatigue of this year was new. With chronic pain, I can often push through it, keep working through my to-do list. With the fatigue, there were some days I could barely walk to the kitchen. Most of the time I knew it was a season although I didn’t know how long it might last. But one of the days I was definitely NOT content. I had many things I had put on hold thinking that in a few weeks I would have energy to do them. A few weeks went by, and I was no closer to getting them done. I was sick of this season and wanted to fast forward to the next whatever it might be.

I’m thankful that God is long-suffering with us. I began to see how He was using this time in bed for His good purposes and glory and my sanctification. I was able to spend more time in prayer and check in with friends and family more often. It was during this time that much of the writing ideas formulated and took shape. If I had been up and working on my checklist, I may never have even considered spending time on the things I did from bed. It still wasn’t an easy season, but there is so much to be thankful for during that season as well as being content in it.

You may be thinking that I don’t know your season. That’s true, but God does. He is with you. He has not left you alone. He loves you with an everlasting, unshakable, unbreakable love. He has purposed each season in your life to conform you to the image of Christ. He wants this season and each coming season to be a time of growth in your relationship with Him. He wants you to know Him more fully through each season.

Today I am ending a little differently with some reflections for you. I would love to see your comments on Facebook or Instagram, so I can be praying for you in your current season.

1. What was a hard season in your life? Where was your focus? Were you content? Thankful? Trusting in a faithful Father and Savior?

2. How would you describe your current season? Below are some ideas with verses (adapted from Julia Bettencourt’s “Seasonal Views”).

· Season of Joy (John 15:11; James 5:13; Habakkuk 3:17-19)

· Season of Suffering (Philippians 4:12; 1 Peter 3:13-18; 1 Peter 4:13)

· Season of Learning (Philippians 4:11; Luke 17:5; Romans 5:1-6)

· Season of Spiritual Dryness (Psalm 63:1; 143:6; 42:1-2)

· Season of Spiritual Maturity (1 Corinthians 13:11; Colossians 1:28-29; Ephesians 4:11-16).

· Season of New Growth (Philippians 1:6; 2 Peter 3:18; 2:2-3)

· Season of Revival (Psalm 85:6; Psalm 51:12)

· Season of Bitterness (Ephesians 4:31-32; Hebrews 12:15; James 3:14)

· Season of Forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15; Colossians 3:13; Psalms 86:5)

· Season of Anticipation (Psalm 5:3)

· Season of Waiting (Psalm 37:7; 1 Samuel 1:2-2:21; Joseph’s life story in Genesis 37-50)

· Season of Loss, Grief or Lamenting (Psalm 42 & 43)

· Season of Busyness (Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 55:22; Galatians 6:9)

· Season of Spiritual Warfare (Ephesians 6:12-17)