Yet again my morning walk gave me the inspiration for today’s blog! This time I was struck by the beauty of the mellow autumn colours, in the very welcome morning sunshine As I was thanking the Lord for the lovely view ahead of me I just felt the Holy Spirit reminding me that there is beauty, not only in every season in nature, but in every season of life too, which I would see more clearly if I could be thankful for, and embrace, those seasons as they come.
When we are young a change of season can often be challenging, but exciting too, and full of hope and expectancy; the change from adolescent to adult, school to uni, learning a skill or profession to entering the workplace etc. A change of season also of course involves loss. Getting married having a family, wonderful as they are, means that we lose some freedom, time and probably energy to do the things we want. Moving into a new season, can involve changes in location and even in relationships.
It’s so important to recognise the biblical principal of seasons, about which the preacher wrote, very graphically, in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. He said ‘To everything there a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven….’ Life in all its different aspects is not simply a one way climb up a mountain, ‘till we reach a peak and then stay there, walking tall and high. It is in fact more like a journey through undulating territory. In some seasons we get clear views ahead and in others we walk on in faith, not seeing far ahead, but trusting our heavenly Shepherd to lead and guide.
As life progresses we can all fear a change of season. We realise that life is not just going to move, humanly speaking from ‘good’ to ‘better’ to ‘best’. Changes often mean the death of one thing in order to make way for the arrival of another, and if we are honest we can want to hold onto that which we know, and dread the losses involved in change.
We all need to know that spiritually we also travel through different seasons, and when we are transitioning from one season to another spiritually, as well as in life, it is important that we travel closely with our Friend and Helper ‘the Holy Spirit’. As our spiritual seasons change, as with the physical changes, there will be things that we need to let go of in order to embrace the challenges and blessings of the next season.
Walking this morning and seeing the effect of the sun I realised that what can seem a bit dull and drab in nature is enhanced and even transformed by the sunshine. What I saw was a very ordinary scene that then became something of great beauty when the sun did come out. In the same way, thanksgiving for, and during, a time of change can really help me in my letting go, in my embracing of loss, and also in ‘seeing’ the new possibilities, and the hand of God on my life in the new season. I believe thanksgiving for, and as, I travel through a change in season, like the sunshine this morning, will ’light it up’ for me and reveal its beauty.
It reminded me again of the verse in Ecclesiastes. Not only is there a time for everything, but God ‘has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better than for men to be happy and to do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God.’ Ecclesiastes 3:11-13.
So today let us thank the Lord for the ‘season’ we are in, both in life and spiritually, (they often, of course, mirror each other) and see how embracing this season with thanksgiving will shed new and wonderful light on our journey.
