Tis the Seasons of Life
The seasons have begun to change once again. It is time for me to put
away the swimming suits and get out the sweatshirts and coats. It is no
longer time for us to spend days at the beach; rather, we can pick pumpkins
and jump in piles of leaves. In a way, we will be trading one fun for
another. And so it is with life. I used to hear people talking about the
seasons of life, but I didn't really understand it. But time has passed,
and as I have gained a fuller appreciation of what it means, I have experienced
a type of freedom in the way I view my life and my service for God.
Right now I am in the season of bearing and raising children. By weekend,
out of necessity, I am a nurse. By weekday I am a mother of ten, homeschooler
of seven, and keeper of a busy household. Because of the activity in my
house, I am very limited in the amount of time I can spend outside of
the house. I used to feel upset, even guilty, that I couldn't do more.
I wish I could invest more time working in the church or volunteering
in my community, like I saw other women doing. But then I began to notice
that these women are in a different situation than I am. Perhaps they
have fewer children or send their kids to traditional schools. Perhaps
their children are older, or out of the house, or maybe they don't have
children at all. They are in a different season of life than I am.
Right now God has called me to take care of my young children; that is
my first and foremost ministry. I have attended churches which downplay
this ministry. Having a ministry to children is ok if you are helping
out with Vacation Bible School or are teaching a Sunday School class.
But if your work is towards your children at home, well, that's not really
a ministry. Taking care of your children is getting in the way of your
real ministry. I do not agree with this. My household is my ministry.
I am caring for their souls, and in the process affecting future generations.
I will not use that as an excuse, however, for not being involved in
church to the degree to which I am able. I may not be able to head the
Sunday School, but I can be part of the prayer chain, or make meals for
the new moms or grieving families, or substitute teach. I used to think
that our ministry to God was a static, unchanging thing. For instance,
if we have the gift of music, we will spend our dyears playing the organ
or singing in the choir. That may be the case, but I also think that God
may call us to different ministries in the different seasons of our lives.
I am caring for my children now, but I will enter into a new season and
God will have a new job for me to do. My ministry and calling will change.
I am now free from the guilt I used to feel. I will not feel bad that
I cannot do what I see other people doing. I will not allow myself or
anyone else to minimize my current work for God. The season will change,
and I will have a new crop to nourish and a new fruit to harvest. But
for right now I will be faithful to the call God has given me at this
time. I really enjoy summer. Each year as we head into fall I know I will
miss the warmer temperatures and all the activities of summer.
But as I stand in the apple orchard in the middle of fall, seeing the
changing leaves and smelling the fragrances of autumn, I realize there
is joy and blessing in this season, too. And so it is with the seasons
of life. The freedom of my college years is past, but now I have the joy
of my children and the fullness of purpose that they bring. I know I will
be sad when this season passes, but I trust that God will have new joys
and blessings for me in the season ahead. In each season He will give
me a purpose and a joy. The best place to be is always in the center of
His will and His plan. It is October, and as I look out my patio I see
the seasons beginning to change. It is time to put aside the labors of
the summer months and concentrate on a new work. I sure will miss the
flowers of summer, but the colors of the autumn leaves will be just as
beautiful.
