There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

~Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

Each of us faces something different at any given moment. We are wise to consider the blessing of seasons in life.

Once, I texted with a beloved friend in the middle of the night. She lives in a different state, a long distance away. For me, it was late evening. For her, it was early morning of the following day.

As we were in different parts of the day and even on different days on the calendar, God’s children are in different seasons across town and the world.

In His mercy, God staggers our trials and tribulations so we can comfort one another. What a mess we would be if we all fell at the same time, leaving no one standing to help lift us up.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

~Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV

God has an ingenious plan. Even in the timing of trials and tribulations, God arranges our community so someone can help us to our feet and speak encouragement when we have lost all hope.

For some, summer has arrived—a season of sunshine but also deep testing under a scorching sun. For others, fall has approached—a season of coolness and color but also grief and the pain of dying away of old things.

Some experience winter with bright red cardinals and frost-converted window panes in a world that feels endlessly cold and lifeless. Others feel the freshness of spring. They feel fresh, hopeful, and blessed and enjoy vibrant blooms, allergies, and bee stings.

In difficult seasons, we are wise to ask the Father for eyes and a heart to look for our blessings and the good in seasons that feel primarily bad. God places these oases of good in our lives to refresh us so we don’t expire without hope.

When we are discouraged, we are tempted to say there are no oases. We shut our eyes tightly in anger, denying that a good God would have us in the desert mid-summer. But if we call out to Him, the Father can help us open our eyes and see the nearby oasis. In His mercy, God sends others who will call out to us in the desert and show us where we can find the goodness in our wasteland.

We should enjoy our springs, tuck the memories away in our hearts, and thank God, the giver of every good gift. During our enjoyment, we can remember a neighbor who may be in the middle of a harsh season. Spring is a pinnacle opportunity to offer sensitive encouragement, help, and hope to someone who struggles.

Every season, we need to hold tightly to our Father and one another. It isn’t good for us to be alone. We need one another, and we need God. If we ask Him, He can bring strong and godly relationships where we can encourage and be encouraged.

Journal about the blessings of your spring, the shade and refreshment of your summer, the beauty of the falling autumn leaves, and the shelter, warm blanket, and fire of winter.

Father, teach me to refresh others and, in the process, be refreshed. Through good times and bad, give me eyes to see the blessing of seasons. May I praise You in and through them all. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2025: The Blessing of Seasons: Julie Souza Lilly: All Rights Reserved