Seasons

 I love to read, but I don't really have much time for it during the semester.  I bundle all my reading for the summer.  This is another reason why I look forward to summer SO MUCH! It is my absolute, most favorite season.  Listing the reasons that I love summer with such intensity would take volumes...so I won't...I'll just say one: summer reminds me of home.  On the other hand, winter...I couldn't even begin to mention the reasons I dislike winter...just the thought of it makes me want to vomit (I hope I haven't offended my winter-fan-friends).  Fall makes me way too melancholic and spring is riddled with allergens that make my life miserable.  So summer is not only my favorite season, but the only one I truly like.

The reason I'm thinking about this is because, as I was reading chapter 3 of the book Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson, which is on the subject of well-being, I read something that really spoke to me.  As the author discusses the importance of self-care, and how it is not selfish to carve out time to "plan for you," in order to be able to care well for others, she talked about how her Mother in Law told her to reserve a hobby that she enjoys, for the winter months in order to help her cope better with the awful Minnesota cold season.

The author relates what her Mother in Law told her in this quote:  "A hyggelig hobby, she said, would not only help me survive the winter, but it would also help reshape my feelings about the season even before it arrives.  I'd be able to look forward to that time instead of confronting it with a sense of dread." (p. 94) 

Wouldn't that be nice?  To anticipate the arrival of winter (or fill-in-the-blank-season) without dread...sigh...maybe, I should take her advice and save some of my reading for the cold months?  That could be a step in the right direction, I think.

Seasons, however, are not just limited to the spinning of the Earth around the sun.  Nature often works as the perfect analogy for what we go through in life.  As we all have experienced, our lives go through different seasons too.  Some are cheerful and bright.  Some are not.  What a blessing it would be to look forward to all of our seasons regardless of how awful they may seem, wouldn't it? As with the idea of reserving an enjoyable hobby for the season of the year that we already know we don't like/appreciate/love/look forward to in order for us to actually stop dreading it, how marvelous it would be to discover a way to survive the difficult seasons in our lives without fear/disappointment/hurt/heartache...sigh...

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3: 1

I believe the point of this most beloved passage of Scripture is to demonstrate that there is purpose in everything we experience.  Nothing is wasted in God's economy.  He designs every single part and detail of His plans for each of His children and for the whole universe for a reason and with a point.  Nothing is left to chance or caprice, including the seasons in which our heart is pierced with pain. 

Like the author says about the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3: 1, "it indicates an ordained purpose; something, or more specifically Someone, outside of yourself who determines the time and eternal reason of this moment.  You and I can keep wasting time watching the clock, hoping a particular season will pass quickly, or we can embrace every moment, knowing God has an eternal purpose for them all." (p. 95)

I know I cannot anticipate all the rough seasons I will experience in my life, so it is not easy to prepare for them.  But one thing I can do is to stay close to the One Who Knows and Determines every spin of my world.  Therefore, something that can help us keep our eyes upon Jesus is to stay in the Word and in fellowship with His body.  Together we can survive our less-than-ideal seasons as we remind each other that God has a purpose for everything.- praying boldly and without ceasing, holding each other's hands and seeking His face -.  

May the Holy Spirit open our eyes and allow us to see the point of what we are going through...the lessons...the grounds...the reasons, as much as we are supposed to figure them out.  May He give us awareness that we are not alone as we walk through the fires and high waters, for He is right there with us, leading us and showing us the way. 

Question: What's your least favorite season? What hobby or activity can you reserve for that season to help you enjoy it more? What additional ideas could help us cope when we go through difficult "seasons" in our lives?