For all things, a season

The seasons seem to be confused. Places in the Midwest have received more snow this spring than they have the past winters combined. Many are ready for the winter that will never end to go away. I count myself as one of them.

From our earliest elementary school days, we learn the four seasons of the year. Like explorers, we examined the world identifying characteristics of the seasons. Summer is hot. Fall is colorful. Winter is cold. Each season has its traits. Instead of seeing time as a commodity to be grasped, the writer of Ecclesiastes looks upon the time as a season to be experienced. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reads, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Life is more season than schedule. Life seems best segmented into seasons.

Each of us are in a distinct season of life. Some of us are in the season of caring for young children. Your days are comprised of diapers, play dates, and hauling around more baby-gear than Hillary when he climbed Mount Everest. The season of preparing teens to launch requires an entirely different skill set than diapers. Some of us are in the season of caring for aging parents. Others are the aged who seem to be losing more and more every day. Each season of life has unique characteristics separating one from the other. Some seasons are sweeter than others. Life seems easier segmented into seasons.

One of the benefits of looking at life in seasons rather than years is enjoying the season you are currently in and preparing for the next season coming. Knowing where you are and forecasting where you are going captures the time for every matter under heaven. The season of diapers and daycare eventually becomes the season of drivers and date-nights. The season of a houseful of little people will become an empty nest.

Just as you prepare for winter, spring, summer, or fall you need to prepare for the season of life you are in and the one you are going towards. What season of life do you find yourself? What season of life are you heading?

Ecclesiastes asserts there is a season and a time for everything. Identifying the season you are in and the seasons you are heading towards enables you to know more than what the time is. You are free to know what the time is for.