Seasons of change - revisited

Hi friends! I hope your week has gone well. In the midst of the busyness of life and such, I kind of had to go back in my files for this week's column. You'll remember it in its original form here. But here's to hoping that a new audience will get something out of it, and if you do, pass it along! 

Original publication date: Friday, September 25, 2015
Random Writer
Seasons of change 

Fall. Autumn. Whatever you call it, it’s that season--that ever-so-short season--that leaves as quickly as it comes in West Texas.

When I lived in Springfield, Missouri as a Bible college student, the Texas kids would eat it all up and enjoy the changing of the leaves in their deep-hued glory. The crunch of the leaves was a sweet sound to my ears, and I was enamored with it.

That season is typically what I miss the most when I recall my years in Springfield (almost as much as I missed being nowhere near a Whataburger, but not as much as I missed being 10 hours away from my family).

But as much as I love fall, the seasonal transformation that leads into a cold season can sometimes be a picture of our own lives.

Before fall comes, the summer season brings about a carefree spirit, an awareness to live in the moment and embrace life. It’s about the new adventures and new experiences--sometimes it’s like a preview of what’s to come.

Then again, fall also ushers in a transition to get back into the regular routine of life--work, home, church, etc. And for all the preparation, sometimes challenges and bumps can come along the way.

But sometimes the bumps start to come closer together. Change starts happening in a way that you always thought and fear would happen, and it shatters your world.

So when different situations shake you to your core, you find yourself alone. The wintry cold sometimes leaves you forsaken in solitude, and sometimes...everything you’ve ever known is questioned.

But with the winter--this dramatic change--comes truth. Truth that sprinkles you like snowflakes...you’re not really alone. Truth comes alongside you with the promise that God would never forsake you, so you cling to it that much more. Sometimes we want to shake the snow off but once it latches itself to your clothing, it seeps in.

And then, whether there’s someone physically next to you or not, you’ll find yourself in the midst of spring--a renewal, a rebirth. It’s reminiscent of the buds of the flowers and the leaves on the trees that begin to blossom.

But remember, sometimes that season of winter might be a bit longer than you expect. Or that the growth of springtime and joy of summertime might be so short that the autumn atmosphere transitions into yet another period of change.

I’ve been there before. And for all I know, you might be in a particular season of life that seems never-ending, or that season just went by too quickly and you long for those spring-like days again. But if we remember the memories of the good seasons, the lessons from the bad seasons, and more importantly, the Creator of all these seasons, we can make it through it all.