I love the change of seasons, there is always a newness about each one, a freshness, a change in lifestyle, a stepping out of the zone of this season into the next. For this new season, we get to haul out the scarves, jackets and mittens, rev up the ole blower ugh!!!. I truly love the beauty of fall, however am often overcome what follows hotly or not so hotly excuse the pun, on the heels of Fall………, Don’t be distracted embrace the hues of Fall.
As creatures of habit we mostly dislike change, however living in Canada, you need to acclimatize to the fact that change like most things is here to stay. It’s like living in a new place each time the seasons changes as they are exceptionally distinct. God takes us through distinct season in our life, and in each season there is space to grow and mature, adapt, metamorphosise, regroup even if it appears a desert place. Embrace each season with renewed vigor. Of course I have preferences, like us all on which season we prefer.
In Shakespeare’s play ‘Richard iii’, ……“Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of York.
This
opening soliloquy, depicts an end of a historical era / a season by the hand of King Edward, as a new season a season of peace is upon them.
In John Steinbecks book, the title which is taken from this quote:-
“ The Winter of Our Discontent”, he depicts Ethan Allen Hawley, an aristocrat whose father has lost all of the family fortune, and privileges, and he is forced into a new season of his life where he takes on a lowly position, and makes all the wrong decisions to restore the family fortunes, which don’t elevate him even through all his scheming.
If we look inwardly we will be able to testify to seasonal changes in our lives, where we have had a winter of discontent, which eventually will be replaced, and you enter into a new season of your life, a summer season of radiance, warmth and peace.
However played out on the landscape of life, a “winter of discontent”, was waged thousands of years ago, before Shakespeare and John Steinbeck ever walked this earth, in our friend Job.
If we want to look at a radical change in season, Job is our classical representative, the epitome, the creme de la creme, the victor of seasonal change in ones life. In his dark reflection he remembers
Job 29:2“Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me …… 29:4 as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was upon my tent.
Reflection is a healthy past time, yet when we get messed
up in our thinking, our reflecting can lead to a deeper winter of discontent, and self pity. I am fully aware, of the self help phrase “easier said than done” that’s when we dig deeper and hold to the Grace of our mighty God.
In our natural environment, the change of season is upon us, which we call “Fall”, for very obvious reasons in our neck of the woods anyway. In other parts of the world it is called “Autumn”, and was also previously known in various countries as “Harvest”.
With our current series “INVITE”, we trust that we are going through some seasonal changes, for us to positively reflect upon, and enjoy the journey. We look forward to there being a harvest, an inheritance into the future of men and women, boys and girls, drawn into the kingdom.
Job says “ as I was in my prime”, translated directly from the Hebrew, he means “ in my autumn days God was watching over my household and His favour was towards me.”.
I called it “Jobs dark reflection”, because we know that no matter what season we are going through personally or corporately, we might feel alone and abandoned at times, yet God is always watching over us, His favour is always upon us.His loving and caring hand is always extended towards us. When we see Autumn or Fall, we see the end of summer, a cooling off and then we wait often with baited breath for the white stuff to fly. What we miss is that it is a celebratory time of harvest, of course before we get to the proverbial white stuff, huh, I can’t say the word; help !!!!
As we are witnesses to the leaves changing from their beautiful shades of green to the variances of browns, reds, gold and copper, in their splendid array of manifest beauty,
we are reminded that the harvest of the kingdom is for all nations, all walks of life, what a privilege to worship with such a diversity of nations in our togetherness – Church for All Nations.
Rev 5:9 for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
As we look to the harvest time, and prepare our own special Thanksgiving Day festivities. Let us continue to invite, as a culture, as a people on a mission from God.
OH Lord Let the Harvest come !!!!
