Life's Seasons

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3: 1 The beauty in the way God designed the four seasons is that, though each one is distinct, they all work together to bring life and growth. Spring is a period of freshness and new life. Summer sees growth and productivity. Autumn is a time for harvesting the rewards of past labors. Winter is the season of dormancy and closure. Each season has its own unique beauty and makes a significant contribution to life. Just as God planned seasons in nature, He planned seasons in life as well. Life has its springtime, when we begin new things and look excitedly toward the future. Summer comes and we work diligently in the heat of the day at all that God has assigned to us. With autumn comes the fruition of things begun at an earlier time in our lives. Winter brings an end to a particular period in our lives. Sometimes winter brings hardship, but we remain hopeful, for another spring is just around the corner! In God's perfect design for our lives, He has planned for times of fruitfulness and activity. He will also build in times of quiet and rest. There will be times when He asks us to remain faithful doing the same work day after day. But there will also be periods of excitement and new beginnings. By God's grace, we will enjoy seasons of harvesting the fruit of our faithfulness. By God's grace, we will also overcome the cold winters of heartache and grief, for without winter there would be no spring. Just as it is with the seasons of nature, these seasons in our lives work together to bring about God's perfect will for each one of us.” —Henry T. Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day by Day

Life, like nature, moves in seasons—and each one is part of God's perfect design. Some of us may feel stuck in winter right now—grieving, hurting, or simply feeling numb. But just as winter is never the end of the story in creation, it’s not the end for us either. Spring is coming. God uses every season—times of new beginnings, seasons of growth, periods of rest, and even times of loss—to shape us, heal us, and move us forward in His love. Wherever you are in your journey, take comfort in knowing that no season lasts forever, and none are wasted. God is with you in the cold and in the bloom, and He is faithful to bring beauty from every stage. Trust Him with your season. —DH