Seasons

Well friends, it's the end of another week. How was your week? Productive? I trust however it went you made the best of it and lived your best life to date. Mine was very good, busy good and quite interesting actually.

So finally I'm talking about seasons. "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose". I learnt this phrase long ago, through some song, (can't even remember it now) before I ever knew it was scripture.

Life is in seasons isn't it? And those seasons run in opposite cycles sometimes.  A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to sow and a time to reap. A time to laugh and a time to cry. A time to pick up and a time to put down. A time to go to school and a time to work and use that school knowledge. Some seasons are forced on us, and we would wish they didn't happen while other seasons are entered into joyfully.

Nothing by itself lasts forever. Only that which God does lasts forever. An understanding and realization of this fact is key to ensuring that we can make the most of the seasons we currently are in and are prepared for the next one. Jaci Velasquez sings a song - Live every moment as though it were your last. Quite honestly, that song was an "Aha" moment for me many years back.

Each of us have a responsibility to ourselves and to God to make the best of every season. Within each season there is also most times a bell curve. Things happening in that season build up, peak and then seem to reduce in intensity until gradually it runs its course and we find ourselves in a new season.

Some seasons last many, many years. Marriage for example, is a season we pray lasts the rest of our lifetime after it happens. Using marriage as an example, we see also that within a broad season we also have sub seasons. The child rearing years are one. The empty nest one is another and so many others in between.

If you're single, there are sub seasons within that. If you're a student same story. Work life? Oh, too many seasons to count! So what's the point here? He makes everything beautiful in its time. Each season we are in can be beautiful as we make the very best of it. We can and must find joy and the silver lining in the less than pleasant seasons and dance and leap for joy in the great seasons. I was chatting with someone on a trip last night and she was saying she can't stand the cold English weather. I smiled and said to her that if she's properly clothed, she won't even notice!

That's how it should be with the seasons we find ourselves or sometimes put ourselves into (we make our own bed sometimes, right) ? If we are prepared or prepare ourselves once we realize what is going on, the season will work out for our good. This also implies that we should adopt the Boys Scouts motto. Be prepared. Bible says if we faint in the day of adversity, it means our strength is small. In the good times prepare your spirit because that's what will sustain you in the day that's not as good as you would like it to be.

Preparation includes learning. We must seek knowledge continually. Beyond knowledge, we must use what we know to gain skills. Again going back to the event I attended yesterday, one of the speakers pointed out that anyone can acquire the same knowledge you have in a few minutes once they get on Google, that great equalizer. However, they can't exhibit the same skills you have by a similar approach. So it's what we do with the knowledge we have that matters, we must turn the knowledge into skill and that is what will be our competitive advantage or the strength that will enable us to shine in any season.

So my friends, seasons come and go, but we can outlast each one if we are prepared and keep learning as an attitude and lifestyle. Remember, He makes everything beautiful in IT'S time. Also, we mustn't keep looking back trying to stay in any season once it's past. We should move on and live our best life in the new season.

I hope you have a good weekend, whatever you choose to do. Whatever season you are in, I pray for you the grace to excel and overcome. Blessings on You and Yours,

Your friend,

Olubunmi