For everything, there is a season...
As we draw to the close of the season of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, we look forward with gratitude for the gift of Jesus Christ. It is in this spirit of thanksgiving that we are able to dive into a new year with hope. Christ brings us confidence to live in an imperfect world, knowing what we will one day experience with Him in heaven. He also calls us to trust in God's order for the seasons of our lives.
As an Easter people, it won't be long until we begin the Lenten preparation culminating in the rejoicing of the Resurrection. God's perfect order, His perfect plan, our perfect Savior. Ecclesiastes 3: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven ...He has made everything beautiful in its time". There is a time and a season for everything, as certainly as this blustery winter will yield to spring and spring to summer and summer to fall. As the old Pete Seger song says, "turn, turn, turn". We turn a page to a new year on our calendar, knowing that February will follow January, and our seasons will be ordered, too. There will be good times, and rough times. (As our dear friend, Rosemary Todd, was fond of saying, "This, too, shall pass". Her wisdom gem from Solomon!) Whatever comes, however wonderful or awful, will change with time. We respond accordingly. God's plan, God's order, God's time.
In this new year, may we be comforted by that eternal truth. There will be changes we may not understand. Times that bring happiness, sadness, fear, joy, concern, relief. It will all be there. How will we respond? How will God use us to build, to plant, search, mend, speak---and yes, sometimes scatter and gather, tear down and mend. There is a season for everything, turn, turn, turn. May the next seasons of our lives be filled with gratitude and love---and trust in God's plan and order for each of us! To everything, there is a season, and a purpose...God's grace and peace to you in the new year!
Ecclesiastes 3: There is a time for every season and activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace...