Doesn’t the time just fly by? In February I was finishing off my dissertation. In May I was sitting my final exams. In June I was finishing up the last minute plans for the wedding – which went right up to a few days before the big day. In July I was getting married and off on honeymoon. In August another birthday went by. September was busy for my writing, I became a volunteer for Oxfam and I graduated. Now it is October.
October is a new month with its new challenges and excitements. There are already lots of meetings. There is an appointment for my routine check in the Oncology department. There is a time to visit my friends and family back in Norfolk. The leaves have started to turn orange and yellow; they then slowly drop to the floor and crunch underneath my feet. I have stepped on conkers, kicked leaves, watched spiders hanging on their webs in the autumn breeze. It is truly beautiful to see the dusk of one season, and the dawn of another.
I love it when people say there is ‘a season for everything’. I like thinking of the moments in my life as seasons and reflecting back as I think of how the seasons have changed gradually. As I go through these different seasons of life, I realise I do not stop and appreciate each moment like I do when it is a lovely summer’s day with a light breeze, or I stop to stare at the falling snowflakes, the blossoms in the trees, or the wonderful colours of the autumn. The seasons of my own life go by unnoticed, and often unappreciated.
Another charming phrase I like is ‘youth is wasted on the young’. I guess as you get older you might stop to appreciate the seasons of your life more, as you reflect back on your memories, sometimes with fond happiness and recollection, whilst other memories seem blurred and regretful. As the young person is out playing in the sunshine or building a snowman, the older person may longingly look to their youth when they did the same, or perhaps think that sun burn or frost bite are more of a worry.
We are all in a season of life. Are we appreciating each moment? Are we struggling with the season’s change? Whatever season you are in, there is a time for everything.
In Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, this is written:
3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
This is also sung in a popular song that you may be familiar with:
Or a personal favourite of mine:
Within each season of life, we can have confidence that the Lord who made the seasons that we see and appreciate (spring, summer, autumn, winter), takes a special interest in each season of our lives – wherever we may be. He pursues us in several ways, but as we may not stop and appreciate our own seasons in life, have we missed God in the different seasons of our life? He has been there throughout – through the trials and pain, to the triumphs and recovery.
I do not seek a magical genie God that does what I want and how I think things should be done. I seek a God of love, that has fixed a broken world through Jesus Christ. The world is broken and in deep, deep need of repentance and to turn back to the Lord. You just need to turn on the news to hear of the broken world we live in.
Why hasn’t the Lord fixed this broken world?
He has – through Jesus.
But there is a season for everything. There was a season for Christ’s birth. There was a season for Christ’s ministry (in his thirties). There was a season for Christ’s death. Christ died and in the process put an end to this broken world. But we are in another season. This season is a time between when Christ died, was raised to life and ascended to heaven, and when He is coming back to earth a second time. During this season, we are faced with a broken world, but we are left with an opportunity to see Christ as our Saviour, friend and God who has conquered death (sin, death, power of hell etc). Jesus is coming back a second time to save those who are left waiting for Him:
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many [on the cross], will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9: 27-28)
What a load of bonkers (or conkers if you will), you may say?
How about a God that has not yet returned because you have not yet believed in Him? What if He is waiting to come back, because He is waiting for you, because He loves you?
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise [that He will return], as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
In this season, the Lord wants you to know that you are loved and that He does care for you. He wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth about Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:4).
If you have questions about God, perhaps you are finding it hard to see God’s goodness in a broken world, or are struggling with anything that you would like prayer for, please let me know – I would love to talk with you about Jesus. He is worth it. He thinks you are worth it to.
An Anchored Hope 
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