In each year we experience different seasons. Typically we
call them Spring, Summer, Fall, and, Winter. In Zimbabwe, my home as a child and
later with Judi as a mission family, there were only two seasons, wet and dry. Here
in California
one wag as commented we have four seasons, fire, floods, earthquakes, and,
riots. Our days are planned according to the annual seasons of our local. As I
write this I am preparing the sermon series to be presented during Christmas of
this year and one to be presented for the New Year. Seasons help us be
prepared.
Life too has its seasons that go from birth to death. These
seasons seem too often to catch us unaware. It takes an experience to cause us
to see our sweet infant has become a demon two year old. The first time we
cannot read the menu in a restaurant we realize we have entered middle age and
need “cheater” glasses or grow longer arms. But, the seasons that catch us most
by surprise are the seasons of tragedy, hardship, separation, and, loss.
These seasons we seem to fear when we would be better served
by preparing for them. These seasons we ask God to remove rather than accepting
them as seasons through which we will learn, grow stronger, and even, benefit
from. While God has given us seasons He did not give us fear of those seasons. Paul,
in his last days, reminded Timothy that he had given us power to get through
these seasons. He had given us love so we could share these seasons and not
bare them alone. He had given us common sense so we could figure out how to use
them for our strength, security, and, peace (2 Timothy 1:7).
Fear causes us to be self preserving, while God asks us to
rely on His Spirit of power, love and common sense - with no safety net. I want
a promise of no pain, that is my safety net. I want a promise of financial
security, another safety net. Maybe you want a new job, house, degree, child,
or, healing – those would be your safety nets. Whatever your safety net is, it
is not enough to take you through your seasons ready to build on that last
season.
It is when we tell God how we want a season to end that we
become the most separated from the very power given by God to see us through
the season. When we do not open our hands to God so he can take what He wants
and give us what we need then our seasons become a way of life most miserable. My
sister Pamela Markey stood at the bedside of her youngest child whose prognosis
from a severe head injury was bleak. She told me it was not until she gave him
to God did she find peace and the strength to face the coming challenges. He
lived.
A decade later she sat by the bedside of her husband knowing
she had to do the same thing again. Again she found peace and the strength to
go through the many problems in getting George home to Indiana
from Kyrgyzstan
for special treatment. He died.
Did God forsake her? She testifies to the pain of that
incomparable loss while confessing she could not have survived it had she not
given that season to God.
Pray not to have the season removed. Pray rather to be bold
for God during what ever season through which you are journeying.
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