To Everything There Is a Season - The Crosswalk Devotional - June 27
To Everything There Is a Season
By Michelle Lazurek
Bible Reading:
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Tears welled up in my eyes as I waved goodbye to my daughter, who got on the big yellow school bus, and with its red flashing lights drove off into the distance for the last time. For ten years, I had stayed with my daughter at the bus stop to ensure she got on the bus to start her school day. But today was the last time she would ever get on a school bus. She had just gotten her license and was excited to drive to school. My mind recalled the many years I watched her run to the bus, sit by her friends, and giggle wildly as the bus took off. But there would be no more of that today. That season of her life—and ours—was over.
While it was exciting to watch her grow up and bask in the woman she was becoming, it was difficult not to grieve the loss of that season of life. The innocence of childhood was long past, giving way to the challenges of making new friends, attending high school, adjusting to classes, and navigating relationships. Just as we had always done, we stood by her and ensured that we saw her through every transition she would make.
In life, everything has a season. We are promised that there will be good days and bad days. Those endless days of changing diapers, folding laundry, and staying up for nighttime feedings give way to more exciting experiences, such as attending school, earning good grades, and eventually transitioning into adulthood.
Farmers understand the idea of seasons all too well. There are seasons throughout the year when they must plant the seed, moderate the growth, fertilize the soil, and then dig up the harvest. No farmer expects to remain in the harvesting season for the rest of their lives. They understand that to reach the harvest, there must be planting, weeding, and watering. If they skip a step in this process, their harvest will not be plentiful. It can impact their well-being and, ultimately, their ability to earn a living. Farmers understand that each season has its purpose, to prepare for the harvest that's to come.
In the same way, the difficulties you may be facing now will give way to better seasons in the future. Today will not always be difficult. There will be seasons in life that you love, and seasons in life that you simply endure. Don't skip through the seasons that are refining you and making you into the Christ-like person God wants you to be. Embrace those seasons and look back to reflect on all that God has done.
What season in life are you in now? Are you in a season of raising children? Are you in the prime of your life, preparing to travel and explore the world? Are you going to work every day, saving up for the eventual season of retirement? Seasons come, and seasons go. To have a spring, there must be a winter. Dead leaves that fall to the ground in autumn must happen to allow new life and buds to sprout flowers for the spring.
But remember this: every season has its purpose. God does not waste our pain. Even in seasons of great trial and tribulation, they must happen so that we can get closer to Jesus. Those difficult seasons allow for new birth in our lives. The old self must die to give way to the new self. And it's essential to embrace each season of life as it comes, knowing that even in the worst seasons, there will always be room for better ones in the future.
Father, help us to remember that every season has its purpose. If we are currently experiencing a difficult season of life, let us hold onto the hope that this will not last forever. Please help us to remember that you are using this difficult season to create new growth and new life. To experience new life, we must undergo old, dead growth. Please help us to embrace each season of life as it comes. Amen.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Are you currently in a good season or a bad season? How can you embrace and accept this current season?
Further Reading:
John 16:33
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