Thursday, August 22, 2019

To Everything, there is A Season

Eccl 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: “

This sometimes familiar quote is used when relating to the various seasons of life. While a child, I heard it quoted on many occasions, especially in the context of our Sunday school classes. Those were the days! I was one of those rascals who loved Sunday school and the opportunity to find some mischief to get into most of the time. While I was never destructive, I likely could be disruptive at times. It may have been due to those early years in life that I was labelled as a maverick or a little later on a radical, by some. That is not unheard of in small rural settings, when a lad is over rambunctious, though well-meaning in most cases. The question on people’s minds these days might be, “Has he grown out of it?”

Well, perhaps it stands well within the reaches of that quote in this case. I used to think that life just droned on and somewhere down the line it would just come to its end. I wish I could say that I was always happy in my work, but that is not the case for me. It may seem odd for me to be thinking about such things, and for certain to be writing about it now, yet perhaps I need to face the reality of what life brings and my own unpreparedness in the middle of its flow toward fruition. This is to say that even though I may be far from that point yet, I do see an end in sight! I’ve not always been prepared!

One might question whether anyone is truly prepared. My oldest daughter stated a few weeks ago, “Dad you have re-invented yourself so many times I don’t know how you’ve kept track of it all!” There have been moments when I questioned both my reasoning and my sanity when confronted by a process to make the next decision on the direction in life. I have always tried to make those life changes based on two things; 1st what is it that God wants me to do? And 2nd what effect will this have on my family. I wish I could say that there was never a time that I strayed from that formula, but that would not be true. Sometimes we just fall down; exhausted by life, bent by the weight of stresses and expectation and we forget to look into God’s eyes before we look outward to the world.

I’ve been asked why “that” scripture quote held so many negative samples of life being lived. For instance, those that cause the most unrest for the reader seem so “unlikely” to be found in Biblical instruction for our uplifting. The situational irony of words perhaps directs our thoughts away from what is being presented. A popular theme in quotes is; “We don’t always get what we want…” tries to direct us to the idea that sometimes it gets us where we “need to be”… and while it may seem unpleasant at the time, if accepted in humility, may bring growth in both spirit and wisdom. So while falling down, falling short and missing the mark is not satisfying, doing so brings us to another season in life.

At this juncture in life, I am facing death at many levels. Years ago, as I was training for ministry in University, I took courses on “Death and Dying”. At first glance, the syllabus seemed quite straight forward. Perhaps I was wearing rose-coloured glasses, but I was expecting only to be prepared for the work with those who had lost loved ones, as part of ministry. As it turned out, death has many faces and can be identified under many labels. We know that at the ending of life comes death, that is a given, but to identify other indicators, being faced as death, brings a whole new understanding to the seasons of life.

In opening up new avenues of direction in life, there is always the unknown to be considered. Yet, how many of us do not take the time for examination, reflection and preparation for the work to be undertaken. In life we are expected to be both spontaneous and prepared. While these are two very admirable traits, they do not always bear a presence in union with one another. My thoughts have often leaned heavily toward being spontaneous, but it has in the past gotten me into deep water, and over my head, while needlessly carrying the burdens of others. How do we both react on the drop of a dime, when the occasion arises and our time, energy and knowledge are called upon? Is there not something to be said for always being prepared? Yes, of course, there is! The stress comes when self-identity and self-assurance outweighs the training, experience and situational reality of the moment. Overstepping our mark, wading out into deep water, or jumping in to save someone without consideration for our own safety, is folly, yet it happens and once we are disarmed, broken and if not completely destroyed, we must face a new season in life.

In taking on that course, I reflected many times on how life challenges us all with the varying circumstances that we may not be prepared for at all. I was faced to look at such matters as divorce, loss of job, retirement, being uprooted due to the need to move, and even the empty-house syndrome which some suffer from, just to mention a few. I know that having to say goodbye is the hardest. I’ve always thought that one could be prepared both mentally and spiritually, but that is not always the case. In saying goodbye to our children, as an example, as they went off to university and college for training towards life’s work; there was an emptiness that we tried to disguise with new plans for their rooms and jokes surrounding new freedom in life. But, it was merely the beginning of a new season, restlessness in some areas of everyday life, which took years to understand and accept.

Normalcy changes, when illness and the unknown creeps in; waves of fear, regret and even anger arise within us. We don’t like to face it… it is not what we want, it is not what is expected of us, it is not within the definition of our faith in God, but it happens. You see, we are in human flesh. When we get hurt we feel the pain, when we feel pain we cry out, when we cry out any one of a number of emotions can bring us to our knees. What we do while there, makes all the difference.

Today is another day with a change of season. Another friend is gone and I HAVE HAD TO FACE that reality too many times of late. While training and experience stiffen the upper lip, my heart breaks for both the families affected by these recent deaths, and this heart once again faces my own mortality. I wish that we could all live healthy, happy productive lives well into our 90’s, but that doesn’t happen. We face the possibility of diminishing faculties in both mind and body, and how we accept that potential for the future may direct how we live in the present.

The writer of that quote above goes on to point out a rich bit of wisdom, that I shall add here in my closing thoughts:
Eccl 3:10-13  I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.

Take time to consider how difficult your life may have been, how in times of crisis you were perhaps near being crushed, yet you did your best to put on a smiling countenance and got on with it! Many are those who will not want to reflect, having to face those realities again. Yet, we all face those moments at one time or another, and many of us on multiple occasions throughout life. It is part of the journey which always includes the ups and downs, along with those mountain-top blessings that come along. Are you stuck in the valley today? This may be your journey to the edge and you may be wondering both how you got there and how to manage the moment. I have found two things to be of help to me. You may or may not agree, but nevertheless, here they are. First and foremost, look around. I know… it is like being on a tall building and you are afraid of heights! Look around and be aware of not so much yourself but of all life surrounding you.

Somebody has said,” I was sad that I had bad knees until I saw a person with no legs!”. Ok, not exactly, but it is what I think when I get up in the mornings. We often reflect that the worst happens to us and that God has wrought his judgement on us in some curious design, to bring us down; humbled and contrite, willing to capitulate to His bidding! Oh, how the folly of that thinking gets us into trouble! In life, we need to be aware that “stuff happens”… OK… just another form of reductionism, but nevertheless there is a need to face the practical reality of our own stupidity many times. We leave out God and get left behind.

Second, we should be willing to take the next step. Stuck in mid-stride on a tall ladder, or the face of a high, sheer mountain, and having become frozen, unable to move up or down, we need to take that first step! It is hard… It is frightening… it is terrifying… but it needs to be done. We can’t walk on water, but we can depend on God to get us to safety. I’ve had to do it, so I speak with some understanding of the dynamic in external strength that can enable you to do it. Where we step though, is the key. I step back toward truth, toward wisdom, toward knowledge of what is stability… towards my faith in a God who loves me and who will see me through the deepest valleys and darkest nights.
Yes, to everything there is a season. I am not sure what is before me, but I am assured of who is with me. I have family and friends who pray, I have a solid believing Church family who cares, and most importantly a loving helpmate who reminds me daily that she is praying for me. God is good every day…. Every day God is good… in season and out of season… God is good. He has given me those blessings; He will give them to you as well… if you look to Him!

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