Seasons

Perhaps this is just the camp counselor in me, but I believe you can connect God, and more specifically the gospel, to just about anything. God is present everywhere, even in the worst of situations or strangest of connections.

That being said, I've been thinking about the seasons lately. Over the weekend two things happened:

1. The world began to fall, autumn has come. When I left on Friday the trees on campus were still green, but when I came back on Monday leaves rained down and colors began to appear.

2. My world began to fall. This might sound dramatic, but a lot of things happened this weekend that hurt me. I left on Friday with high hopes about college, and came back on Monday drained.

The process of trials is reflected in the seasons.

Every year we see the world fall down in September. Every beautiful green leaf falls off and dies, the trees become bare. The world gets colder. Then we all trudge through winter. Winter has its beautiful moments, but it also has wet, cold, windy days that make you just want to stay in bed all day. Eventually though the sun comes out and so do the buds of new leaves. Somehow the world begins to wake up and spring, the time of new birth appears, rolling into a summer, a time of sunshine and joy.

And then it starts over.

When something happens, when a mountain or trial or change comes our way it often feels like our sky is falling. Our lives become bare, drained. We reach the midst of the mountain, trudging through the dark days, thinking it will never end. But then one day it does. A little at a time, never all at once. But then soon we look around and see that life has been renewed and we find peace, finally entering our summer.

And then it starts over.

Sometimes seasons last longer than we want them too, sometimes we are blessed with a long summer or early spring. Sometimes winter is harder than usual, sometimes fall happens quickly, sometimes it's one leaf at a time. Sometimes our seasons in life are blessingly peaceful, sometimes a trial can see like it will never end. Sometimes it seems as though this cycle is constant, never staying anywhere for long.

There are about a hundred things we can learn from this comparison:

-Be prepared. Just because summer seems like it'll last forever doesn't mean you throw away your sweaters. Know that even in peace life is still life and you will face trials. Grow and cling to Christ, even in the summer.

-Know there's a light. Winter can seem to last forever, fall can be terrifying. But remember that even if it doesn't happen until April or May the flowers bloom and the butterflies fly and the birds come back.

-Every season has something to offer. Even cold, dark winter sparkles with a new snowfall and brings Christmas with it. Even the hardest trials have a purpose and beauty within them.

Those are only a few. But the biggest one is this:

God made each season.

God, in His incredible creativity, thought of this cycle, a direct reflection of His power of renewal and consistency. And we can see him in each one.

In fall I see Him in the beautiful colors. I feel Him in a cool breeze, and sweatshirt weather.
In winter I see Him sparkle in the ice, in our breath, and in the joy of Christmas.
In spring I see His beauty in new butterflies and flower buds and feel Him in the warm sunshine.
In summer I see His faithfulness in the constellations and hear Him in children's laughter outside.

He is in each season happening around us, just as He is in each season happening within us.

And each season has a purpose, just like every mountain we climb over.

Maybe I am entering a new season, but what a comfort it is to know my God leads me into each new day with open arms, patience, grace, and love. Despite the changing seasons our God is unchanging, He is the same God in the sunshine of summer and the coldness that is winter. He is the same God if our world is falling apart or if we are feeling renewed.

Therefore I will not pray that my life backtracks to summer, but that I push forward leaning on the one higher than I. That I embrace whatever winter there is to come, knowing it will bring growth. And that above all I am constantly reminded that I have an unchanging God, who is steady in every season.

All of my life 
In every season 
You are still God 
I have a reason to sing 
I have a reason to worship