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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