Lesson 4

Live in the seasons of life

What is your favorite season? I love spring and fall. I love the way the flowers bloom in spring and you see the rebirth of the world after a long cold winter. I also love the fall because of the brilliant colors, the leaves turning red, orange and deep yellow. The crisp air of fall season dancing across my face is so refreshing and all I want to do is curl up with a cup of hot chocolate at my favorite coffeehouse (The Singin Bean). Life is like the seasons and just as seasons pass, so does the moments in our lives. Sometimes, we are in the season of bliss and all is going just as we dreamed. Other times we are in the season of loss and hardship. What we must learn to do in each season is to live in that moment accordingly. We move through the season of life every day. I remember feeling so alone when I was losing many of my family members so close together. I wondered what God was doing in my life. No one close to me was going through what I was facing. No one could relate to me. During this time my oldest son was running away from home and making some very dangerous choices. I was getting sicker with my kidney disease and going from one doctor’s appointment to the next. It felt like the world was on my shoulders.

When we face life challenges, we want to ask God why? We want all the drama to pass by quickly or not come at all. Life is not that way. Life is like the seasons. Just because you do not care for the heat of summer, doesn’t stop summer from coming. Summer will come. Many times I have lived my life pretending like I was not in the winter of life. I use winter because it is not one of my favorite seasons. Imagine if you will, you dressed and act liked it was summer in the winter. You wore your bikini, shorts and tank top outside, in 20 degree weather. You would go and swim in the ocean and lay out on the beach. You would wear your flip flops in the snow. The truth is you would probably look ridiculous and most likely get very sick. But we can live like this, wishing it was summer instead of winter, wishing it was fall instead of spring. I remember God teaching me a great and simple lesson about this way of thinking. Simply live in the seasons of your life. Surrender to where you are right now. Embrace your pain, just as your embrace your joy.

I remember saying to myself after each funeral I had to attend, after each doctor visit, after each time my son would runaway and come back home, “Lisa this is just the season you are in, this too will pass.” When we are in those seasons of life that challenges our very core, take a breath and dress appropriately. Clothe yourself with what is needed at the time. I clothed myself with many prayers. I wrapped myself with compassion and understanding. I secured my heart with God’s word and meditation. I nourished my soul with the warmth of great friendships and a loving family. It was not the time to spring out and throw a party and not look at what I was going through. It was my time to find refuge and surrender to this season in my life.

I thank God for all the seasons, even though I have my favorites. Hold on to the fact that each season serves a purpose for the universe and our lives as well.