“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun.” Ecc 3:1
You don’t have to convince a farmer to be prepared for winter, but understanding that EVERYTHING HAS SEASONS can change your life! Several months ago, I had a meeting with a fellow West Point graduate that I meet with on a regular basis. He was currently going through a “winter” season in his life. As we discussed his situation, I had the following thought (which I have developed a little further since): How would you feel if you woke up one day and couldn’t remember anything. You are outside, it is 15 degrees, you are not dressed appropriately and the ground is covered in snow. All the trees look dead, everything is white and gray, no color except the clothes you have on. You begin to think, is this what life is like? You you have forgotten spring, summer and fall. You have no context for what comes next. What happens? You lose HOPE!
At the Military Academy one of the things we had to memorize was Douglas MacAuthor’s “Duty, Honor, Country” speech to Cadets in 1962 upon his acceptance of the Sylvanus Thayer Award.
“Duty, Honor, Country, those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be. They are your rallying points to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.”
Understanding that EVERYTHING HAS SEASONS, is the perspective that builds courage when courage seems to fail, that helps us regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith and creates hope in us when our hope becomes forlorn.
Seasons in our lives or our business don’t necessarily correspond with what is going on outside. It is essential to remember that seasons are not a “once and done” occurrence, they never stop, winter will always come but your location (posture, attitude, etc.) may determine how bad it is or how long it will last. Also, know that there are seasons within seasons. For example, my business may be in the “fall” right in the middle of harvest time! Then I hire new employees that can’t jump right into the harvest, they have to go through the hardship of winter, then spring, then summer to truly understand and appreciate the culture we have created. Some will move through the seasons faster than others, some may stay stuck in winter.
One of the keys I have found to my contentment in life is embracing change and seasons and asking what can I learn from this season that will help me make it though the next winter when it inevitably comes. Hopefully a shorter winter than the one before, but if not I will be better prepared.
Been kinda stuck in winter for a few weeks now…but God is good and spring is on the horizon! Good word!
Good point on the seasons within seasons. For awhile, my family life had been in summer. However, some new struggles with jobs have created a winter storm. I know that God has a plan for us. But this storm keeps coming back, often. More specifically with my wife’s employment. She works hard, does anything she is ask to do, and constantly learns to improve. But in the last 3 years, two employers currently owe us over $5,000 in unpaid wages and have filed bankruptcy. Her current employer is selling to another corporation. There is so much up in the air and that is scary. We must stay faithful. In all of this, we are trying to see what it is that God wants us to learn. I know that there is no growth without a little pain. And that also takes being uncomfortable.