What Season Are You In The writer of Ecclesiastes 3 makes some startling observations: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Eccl 3:1-8, ESV) Even as I write this, we are smack dab in the middle of fall in Texas; which mean temperature changes, striking colors, holidays and transition. I’ve never liked transition in my life, unless it was from extremely bad to extremely good. But I don’t control the hands of time and every year that goes by I learn more and more just how little I am able to control. This fact makes me even more drawn towards the very few things I can control such as particular types of foods, drinks and movies that I know in advance will be good because I’ve experienced them several times. Lately though, I’ve been moved to make the most out of every season, as it will in fact pass. Though very cliché and seemingly insincere, it is true that everything has a season to it. Friends with whom I’ve cried and shared life do occasionally move on. My kids are much older and dealing with different sorts of problems now than they were just a couple years ago. My bank account is radically different than it was at the beginning of the year. Transition seems to be everywhere around me. Several years ago I’d have said in a very boisterous, aggressive tone, “Rise up, change your season, make it happen and if things don’t change, you’re not doing enough. You don’t have enough faith. You’re doing something wrong. Toughen up and get with it!” After several years, several counseling sessions, even more books, and both dark and light moments of my soul, I’d now like to say to you, Rise to meet today. Find the grace to keep going today, as this is a season. It may be good, or it may be more traumatic than ever before. Nevertheless, it is a season and there is something to be learned in this season. Sometimes not giving up means we decided to get out of bed today, and simply survive one more day. Quitting or giving up hope altogether only hurts you and shreds your perspective, vision and emotional tenacity. I’ve learned that what you learn in this season will make the next season that much more sweet, encouraging, and meaningful. But if we don’t get what we need now, we may be lacking in the future and we suffer most when we are incomplete. In many ways, there are lessons we can learn in life now, in this season, that can change us and alter us and make us who we were ultimately meant to be. To be constantly wishing for another season, or constantly wanting out of the season we are in, crushes the opportunity to grow now, mature now, and find hope now. It tends to lengthen the season we are currently in as well. We simply can’t control what others do, but we can control what choices we make and what coping mechanisms we utilize to live our life now, despite how good or bad things may be. Remember “My response is my responsibility.”