There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born, and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
He [God} has made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 10 (a)
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields. And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
Kahil Gibron
With record breaking heat, the west has been unseasonably warm this early October. Perhaps that’s why this year, more than others, the overlap between summer and fall feels rather long. Fall hiking season is here with its cooler mornings, yet it has been warm enough to go paddleboarding and wear shorts on many days. Leaves are turning color and peak autumn colors are already gone in many areas, yet summer flowers and vegetables still have green leaves. The last of the summer fruits are in stores while the first of the fall fruits are also available.
In life, season transitions can sometimes overlap. Sure, there are very distinct periods of life such as when a young child starts school…or when a loved one dies unexpectedly. Yet more often, seasons do overlap. A young adult graduates from high school or college then lives with parents while transitioning to next steps in life. A senior aged person goes from being completely independent to gradually needing more help until eventually full-time care is required.
In the Bible, the book of Ecclesiastes devotes most of a chapter to looking at seasons of life. It’s poetic approach considers stages of life that we all go through. Joyous times, hard intervals, times for action, times for talking, and times for being silent. The beginning of chapter 3 verse 11 sums up God’s view of life when it says that He has made everything beautiful in its time. We all have different lives, and our seasons may transition or overlap quickly or slowly. Sometimes we may wish that we could fast forward through a tough patch or slow a special chapter of life down but time will move forward.
So why does this matter? It’s a reminder that as you move through the stretches of life, live each fully and well. Learn what you can. Hold onto the good memories and lessons and let go of things that are holding you back from the next period of life. If there is a long overlap in stages of your life, that’s okay. Seasons always do transition sooner or later. Accept where you are at and know that change is inevitable.
So, for today, go out and drink an iced pumpkin spice latte or cold cup of cider because the weather is warm…knowing that a mulled cider or hot fall coffee drink will surely be savored when cooler weather comes!
