Seasons

Everyone said that we would miss the changing seasons when we moved to Florida.  But we don’t, too much.  Most northerners don’t realize that Florida (unless you live in the southern-most part) still has seasons.  They are a little different than those up north, but there are seasonal changes, nonetheless.

The seasons around here in Florida are:  summer swelter, fall reprieve, winter chill, real spring and 3 or 4 fake springs.  (Fake springs happen intermittently during real spring and feel more like summer swelter than spring.)

A lot of my friends up north say that Florida is too hot for them.  They have a valid point.  It is very hot in Florida in summer (and in fake spring).  But when the northerners a huddled around a roaring fire trying to keep warm in winter, we are wearing sweaters outdoors.  Don’t get me wrong, this part of Florida can frost on occasion, but the thermometer never comes close to the northern winter temperatures.  And if it frosts at all, it’s usually only 2 or 3 times during the whole winter season. 

I will admit that I do miss the fall foliage.  I used to marvel at the vivid colors of the changing leaves against what seemed like the bluest sky of the year.  It was definitely a sight to behold.  But in Florida, most of the trees stay green year-round, and there is something to be said for that.   

But, I really do miss spring flowers.  Flowers like tulips, daffodils, lilies of the valley, and hyacinths do not grow down here, nor do lilac bushes.  And those are some of my most favorite flowers.  But the tropical plants with their brilliant hues make suitable replacements.  There is nothing quite like birds of paradise blooming in your garden!

When I lived up north, I spent most of the winter season inside.  It was just too cold to go out.  When I would get home from work, often I would not go out again, (even for something fun!) because of the cold and dark.  Winter days are shorter in Florida too, but dark isn’t as bad when it’s not so cold.

Now in Florida, I spend a lot of the summer inside.  It is just too hot to go out.  It feels like walking into an oven when you step out your front door.  And when the humidity is high, it can feel hard to breathe.  Humidity can be high in summer up north too, but not for such a continuously long time.  So, like many things in life, seasons up north or down south are trade-offs.

But weather seasons are not the only kind of seasons.  Life has many seasons as is clearly stated in Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verses 1 through 8.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Doesn’t that just say it all?  Sometimes I think about the seasons of my life – all the seasons that I’ve lived and all the ones that are to come.  At this point in life, more seasons have passed than there are to come, but that’s okay.  Wisdom is received from passing seasons.

From my favorite chair, my view includes four palm trees, a crepe myrtle, our rubber tree, our magnolia, and various bushes and flowers, which all stand against the backdrop of many more trees and bushes in the neighborhood.  As I watch the breeze gently rustle the greenery, I think about this season of my life. 

The late afternoon sun is casting long shadows on the ground and the trees seem to be settling in for a rest.  The magnolia stands in quiet dignity, but the crepe myrtle is spent.  The rubber tree is stately and proud, and the palms just keep growing.  The bushes offer a little privacy and the flowers, a splash of color.  It’s a pleasant scene, and quite tranquil most of the time. 

At this season of my life, the Word of God stands in all its dignity.  After many years of study, I have barely scratched the surface of all the light that The Word has to offer.  Sometimes I read verses that seem like I’m seeing them for the first time, even though I’ve read them many times before.  One of the things I love about God’s Word is that time only increases our appreciation of it.  It never gets old!

My body, on the other hand, is spent.  I have to wear glasses to see and hearing aids to hear.  My joints get stiff and I’m not as strong as I used to be.  I forget things, like closing the kitchen cabinet doors, and I’m easily distracted.  But even with all these things, this season affords me a calmness that many past seasons did not.

However, I still can stand stately and proud because I have faced many things in life and I’m still here.  There have been times that I despaired of life, but I did not quit.  I’ve been knocked down, but I have gotten back up.  I’ve had successes and failures, ups and downs, highs and lows, but all of them brought me to this season of life.  I am proud to be a Christian.  I am super-proud of my family.  And I am proud to be called, “friend” by some of the most wonderful people in the world. 

And even though my age shows on my face and my body doesn’t look or work like it used to, it seems that I just keep growing.  I’m growing older, I’m growing wiser, I’m growing more peaceful inside.  The hubbub of life doesn’t bother me like it used to.  I have much less drama now.  The ‘ups’ are more appreciated and the ‘downs’ are not as frightening.  I don’t compare myself to others anymore.  I try to do my utmost for God, by being faithful to His Word, and by endeavoring to live my life according to His Will.  I love my family and the family of God.  And I pray – a lot.    

So even though the shadows are long on the ground now, this season is a welcomed addition to the patchwork quilt that I call my life.  Every season that I’ve lived has contributed some fabric to the quilt. And when they are all sewn together, the result is a colorful life that is uniquely mine.  Every season of my life has taught me something – even if it was, don’t do that again!  And if I remember that there is “a time to every purpose under heaven,” I can view my quilt with a thankful heart. 

So, no matter what season you are living in currently, find the good and refute the bad.  You have purpose because there is only one you in the whole world, and without you there would be a void.  Every day affords us the opportunity to shine.  Seize that opportunity and shine as brightly as you can.  Make the most of every minute. Delight in the seasons you’ve lived and look forward to the ones that lay ahead.  Remember, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

Note to my readers:  At the risk of sounding very cliché, life is good.  Enjoy it!  And don’t forget that if you’re experiencing a tough time right now, “this too shall pass”.  Thanks for reading!