I've been thinking a lot about the following Bible verse from Ecclesiastes:
For every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.
The cycles of life surround us every day, whether we focus on them or not. Morning becomes afternoon which becomes evening which becomes night which becomes morning. The months follow each other with alarming speed. Even though it is hard to believe during this harsh
Sometimes my personal season matches what's going on around me in the world. Sometimes what's going on in the world contributes to my personal season. I know many people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Their lives are dramatically impacted by short days and the lack of light.
If I stop to think about it, I can point to many things I've done over the past few months, things I should feel good about. Yet, spiritually and emotionally, I feel like this has been a very stagnant time, and that I've accomplished little or nothing towards my goals. If I think about that for long, I can start feeling pretty down.
Luckily, I've gone through this before. My experience tells me that my current season is the season after reaping and before sowing, the season that we allow the ground to regenerate and regain nutrients. Even though I don't remember it every moment, I know I will come out the other end of this as well. Which reminds me of another favorite saying: And this too shall pass.
