The Lesson of the Seasons of Life
As I sat in the sunroom this morning with my coffee, I was amazed at the beauty of the leaves as they fluttered to the ground. The sun was shining and gold leaves fluttered down like raindrops of gold. It’s autumn and this beautiful season is all around us – the colors, the harvested fields, the cooler temperatures, the geese flying south for the winter.
My mind turned to the other seasons of the year: spring with its new life and beautiful green colors, summer with the blue sky and the deep colors of beautiful flowers and trees, and winter with the black branches of a barren tree against the winter sky…and let’s not forget the beauty of the clean white snow.
As I was thinking about these things, my mind went to our seasons of life and how very similar they are to the seasons of the year.
That new baby who enters the spring of life is very much like the new growth of plants in the spring of the year. That baby is fresh and tender and innocent and growing rapidly when nourished with what it needs. The spring of life is those formative years when we grow and learn. They last until we are able to function on our own and hopefully, use the knowledge that has been implanted within us along the way. Our spring of life is so blessed if we have been nurtured not only physically, but with the words of God (Eph. 6:1-4).
The young adult who is finally out on their own and just beginning a career and possibly a family of their own, is now in the summer of life. “Freedom” seems to be the word that comes to my mind. We sometimes hear the phrase “the carefree days of summer,” and that seems to describe this season of life. While responsibilities of homes and jobs and new babies seem to be heavy at times and may resemble the heat of the summer sun, a person in this season of life has the youth and energy to handle what comes their way. Just as the flowers or crops we plant grow and flourish in the Summer, so do our lives, if we have continued to place our trust in God who made us and helps us in our times of need .
The autumn of life, as I described in the first paragraph, seems to be those empty nest years. Sometimes we are still working at a job but the pressures of taking care of a home and a job are not as difficult. We begin to slow down and notice things around us more. Often we have the joy of grandchildren in this season of life. We are usually established and comfortable where we are. Just as the trees lose their leaves in the autumn, we may begin to lose some of our physical abilities, but usually we are able to still enjoy parts of our life.
And then comes the winter of life. We are growing closer to the end of our physical life and may have lost some of our ability to do the things we want to do. Sometimes our hair turns white like the winter snow (and sometimes it just turns loose). For some, this is a lonely part of life and just as the season of winter seems to go on forever, so our days and months may seem that way (Eccles. 12).
But what is the lesson we can learn from the seasons of life? The thought that came to me this morning is that no matter what season I’m in, I can be useful in the Lord’s Kingdom. I can look for the beauty in each season and show others that we still have value as a Christian.
Last Sunday a wonderful Christian man who is in the winter of his life came to worship God. He engaged in every act of worship and it was easy to see how happy he was to be there. He had to have assistance getting to the worship service, but he didn’t let that stop him. Neither does he let his age stop him from calling people and encouraging others to become Christians. He serves God in the winter of life just as he has always served God.
To God be the glory for our seasons of life.
“The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
AUTHOR: Donna Faughn
