Be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
-Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
I live in a part of the USA where we experience all four distinct seasons, each with its own unique beauty. Yet we often complain of winter's bitter cold and wait impatiently for spring. Or we wish that summer's heat were over and long for the refreshing coolness of autumn. How much happier we could be if we learned to joyfully embrace each season as it comes.
Our lives have seasons too. I see our childhood as a time of growing and learning. Adulthood is typically the time to establish a home and find our life's work. During our middle years, many of us may explore new interests and deepen our spiritual life. Often, our twilight years are a time when we may move more slowly, savor our relationships with God and people in a new way, and accept our mortality with serenity and a richer faith. All of these seasons are gifts from God.
As we pass through life's seasons, we have the promise that God is with us to help us face our challenges and to share our delight when we experience joy and new opportunities. We are wise to savor whatever season of life we are in because, unlike the seasons of the year, our life's seasons will never come again.
