The Shortness of the Season
“To everything there is a season,” the writer of Ecclesiastes states, “And a time for every matter under heaven.” And then he continues by listing them all off in words that have been forever immortalized by the Byrds.
Something I didn’t really understand growing up in the tropics (where rainy season bleeds into dry season and back again) is that seasons, by their nature, are temporary…and don’t really last that long.
As kids, we don’t understand this simply because, proportionally, when you’re only four years old, three entire months feels like half a life time. When you’re four, asking how many days are left until summer when it’s the middle of January seems totally reasonable.
As adults, we realize that three months is gone in the twitch of an eyelash. We look at our youngest children and see their baby fat melting away. We look at our eldest children, and they are talking about driver’s licenses (shut the front door). We look in the mirror and realize that no amount of magic will get rid of the wrinkle between our eyebrows. Winter melts away faster than snow in Florida. Summer is gone before we’ve squeezed our child-bearing hips down the water slide.
This can be both encouraging and terrifying, depending on the season.
When we are in seasons of struggle and suffering, we can find comfort knowing that this too shall pass. There will be joy again. There will be healing (of one sort or another). There will be an end to our pain. If we can only hold on.
But when we are in seasons of growth and goodness, sometimes we find ourselves nervously waiting for the other shoe to drop. We wonder how long this reprieve can last. We worry about what’s waiting for us around the corner. Or we forget that there is anything to expect other than having things go our way—and then find ourselves rudely awakened.
Realistically, however, more than anything, the shortness of the season should be a reality check for us.
Yes, find comfort in the inevitable end of the hard seasons, but in those golden seasons, remember how quickly they will pass…and take advantage of them. Use them to prepare yourself for what is ahead. “In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus promises. And anyone who says differently is selling something.
So what can we do so that when the hard seasons we aren’t woefully unprepared?
Memorize scripture. Spend time reading the word and praying. Strengthen your friendships. Eat your veggies. Build your muscles. Rest. If you can, stock your freezer with meals (for when you need them or when someone else does), stock your Spotify playlist with music to remind you of truth and happiness, and stock your mind with words that matter.
Take advantage of the shortness of the season. Milk it for all it’s worth. Remind yourself: there is a time for every matter under heaven—and that means that this too shall pass. Both the good and the bad.
So if you’re in a hard spot—hold on. And don’t give up hope. And if you’re holding your breath, even as joy surprises you—enjoy it while it lasts.
And drink deeply of what matters. Those choices may be part of what God uses to carry you through the coming desert.
