Seasons Turn

I’m sure most of you can relate to this. I currently have a song stuck in my head. I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out where it came from. It’s possible I heard it while in a store today, and it’s also very possible that there is absolutely no good reason for it. Regardless, playing over and over, rent free in my head is the song by the Byrds — “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Instead of trying to fight it, let’s embrace it.

The lyrics to the song begin with “to everything turn, turn, turn – there is a season turn, turn, turn – and a time to every purpose under heaven.” (You’re probably in the same boat as me now, with the song echoing in your thoughts — you’re welcome).

This song came out in the ’60s, and while I’m pretty sure they borrowed some of their words from a very popular book (see the third chapter of Ecclesiastes in the Bible), I think this song has a lesson for us. Stick with me on this.

As I’m typing this, we are entering into one of the nicest weeks, in terms of weather, that we’ve had so far this year. Hopefully this will be a trend that sticks, but knowing Pennsylvania I wouldn’t be surprised if it would end up snowing before the month of May is finished. But let’s get our focus back to the nice weather. Days like these, not too hot, not too cold, get our minds thinking of things like vacation, swimming, campfires, picnics, you get the idea. There can be no doubt, summer is coming! A new season is upon us. The old season of winter has passed away and we are in the transition season of spring. Before we know it fall will be upon us with all of its pumpkin spice glory. And then back to winter. I do have a point here.

Think about the seasons of life. We’re all on a journey this side of heaven. Your journey doesn’t look exactly like mine, and my journey doesn’t look exactly like anyone else’s. But all of our journeys have at least this in common: they come in seasons. And in our journeys people come and go, places come and go, things like jobs, schools, friendships all come and go for the most part, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Have you ever been in a season of life that seemed like it was taking FOREVER to get through? Maybe that was a time of financial hardship, or a tough school transition for your kids, or maybe a medical issue. But the season passed, and you threw a party! And then there are good seasons of life, and those can include the same things but on the brighter side: a promotion at work that comes with better pay, kids are doing well in school, and as far as your health goes you’ve never felt better!

And then there are tragic seasons. A loss of a job, a loss of a loved one, maybe your kids are getting into destructive things you never dreamed they would. If I’m going to be completely honest with you, I’ve experienced all of these things. I’ve been on both sides of the seasons of life, the good the bad and the downright ugly. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Seasons come to pass. If it weren’t for the change in seasons we’d never experience things like the beautiful colors of fall, the majesty of a winter morning snowfall, the new life that comes out in spring, and the warmth and fun of summer. The same is true for life. Whether we’re facing a good change in season or a tragic one, we have to push forward to the next season. And guess what? We’re never alone in this journey. God has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us. He sticks with us in the good times and the bad. He celebrates with us in the glorious parts of the journey and He wipes our tears in the not so glorious parts. The question is, do you believe that?

As the seasons turn, my prayer for you is that you get to experience the goodness of God in your daily life, no matter what season is turn, turn, turning. I promise you, it’s amazing!