It’s the middle of the night, and Spring is announcing its arrival with a fierce thunderstorm. The storm is scary and loud. But, the storm that is keeping me awake has given me time to think about seasons.
I’ve always loved the idea of changing seasons. Back in high school, I sang the song “Every Season” by Nichole Nordeman at church. The song lyrics go through each season. Take, for instance, these lines about Spring:
“And everything that's new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
And what was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green.”
But, what I love about the song is that it reminds listeners that God is in each of the seasons. And, I believe this to be true. Here is the video so you can take a listen:
I grew up in Savannah, Georgia where it was mostly warm year-round. We rarely saw snow or felt a true winter. The coldest place at Christmas was the indoor ice skating rink. Then, I moved around the south some more – Atlanta and Baton Rouge – before landing in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Spartanburg took some time to grow on me, but I can say one of the first things I came to love about this place is that it has four true seasons. Summers are hot, falls are colorful, winters are snowy, and spring is beautiful. I adore it.
However, it wasn’t until we moved houses from a new house in a new neighborhood to an older house in an established neighborhood that I really was able to enjoy the four seasons. Why? Well, our last home (which was perfect for us at the time) was without trees. As I got a little older and my son grew up, I started yearning for trees and wildlife and shade. So, when we went house shopping, trees became a priority.
We found a house that not only has trees but also has a pond and creek with a little waterfall right in the middle of town. We fell in love. My son spent the first summer digging for worms, searching for frogs, feeding the fish and the geese, and chasing squirrels – things he was never able to do before in a house with no trees.
But, all this new scenery also means I get a front-row seat to God’s amazing show. I sit at my table and see the tree in front of our house change with the seasons. I watch the geese leave and arrive according to the seasons. I see my neighbor’s homes across the pond during the barren winter and see only the tree-lined creek in the summer.
And, this front row seat to the beauty of nature’s seasons has reminded me that life has seasons too. As I have grown older, I am more aware that seasons change. There have been seasons of great joy and seasons of loneliness. There have been seasons of abundance and seasons of loss.
As a mom, I am also aware of life’s seasons. The season of life with newborns and little ones and mom clubs has now given way to the season of life when both kids are in school and I am back to work. And, my friends with more life experience speak of the seasons with non-stop extracurricular activities and the seasons as empty nesters.
Which all goes to say, seasons change. It is easy to get so lost and wrapped up in one season that we forget about the potential changes that are ahead. You have to ask yourself – is it a bad life or just a bad season? Is it a bad marriage or just a bad season? I believe there are instances of both. But, I think it is wise to reflect on the big picture rather than where we are right now.
I am also more attuned to myself changing with the seasons. I am not who I was in years past. Sorority girl, teacher, ministry leader – all seasons filled with lessons and growth making the way for something new.
Seasons change. People change. Nordeman ends the song with these lines:
“So it is with You and how You make me new
With every season's change
And so it will be as You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter, spring”
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