In life, we go through seasons. These seasons are often very different. Each season is a new chapter in your book. Some of the seasons are bright and sunny, some are cloudy and gloomy, and others are like blizzards, tsunamis, or hurricanes. Each season is the next chapter where God is teaching you something and pulling you closer to Him. A lot of times, we enjoy the season we are in and don’t want it to end. Without a change in the season, we will become stagnant. We will stop learning, and we will stop growing.
“He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” – Daniel 2.21
At the beginning of the summer, the river rises quickly. This happens because of the snow in the mountains. As it warms up, the snow melts, and the river rises. The river rises quickly at the beginning of the summer and slowly decreases throughout the rest of the summer season. I think this is a lot like how we grow and learn in a season’s change. We have a sudden growth spurt and learn a lot, but the growth and learning slow down as we stay in the season. When winter comes, it starts snowing in the mountains again, replenishing the snow pack for the next summer. If the season didn’t change, the river wouldn’t rise again. Just like in our lives, if the season doesn’t change, our growth won’t rise again.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6
When the seasons change in our life, it may not be a change to a brighter season. It may be a cold and challenging season. Do not fear or dread them. God will walk with you through these seasons, as He does with all seasons. Just as there are seasons for having fun and playing, there are seasons for hardship and learning. When you find yourself in these seasons, rejoice and be glad. God is molding you to be more like Him. He is seeking to build you up and be strong, not to destroy you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is watching carefully, and when the season needs to change again, it will. We can then apply what we learned to help someone who may be in a difficult season. We can support and encourage those who are going through these difficult seasons.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1
The summer season is coming to a close for us at Journey Quest and we look forward to the winter season. It may not be as exciting as the summer season, but without the winter we could not prepare for the next summer. As seasons change in your life, do not be afraid. When the seasons change, it brings new adventures, friends, experiences, and the list goes on. Look for those changes and be ready for them. If you feel like you are getting stagnant, pray for a change. In whatever season you may be in, continually look to God for direction and guidance, be ready to learn and grow, and never lose sight of what God has called you to do.
