Seasons

People love to vacation in spots full of sunshine and perfect temperatures. We are drawn to clear skies and clearer waters. All of us love picturesque scenery and ideal weather conditions. Often, people complain about too much rain or too much snow. Rarely do people complain about sunshine. Funny thing is, too much sun can be damaging. The UV rays are bad for our skin. Overexposure can lead to melanoma. Sunburn is more common and doesn't feel good. And let's not forget to mention the fact that too much sun exposure can age us more rapidly.

The same thing is true in life. We all love the happy times. When things are going well, we are at peace. We love it when everything goes as planned, and we are able to live in the comfort and security of normalcy. But too much of that isn't good for us either. It doesn't build us. We can't grow. We won't appreciate the good times like we should because we wouldn't have the not-to-good times to compare them to. Oddly enough,the Word confirms for us that in this life, we will have trials (John 16:33), so we need all 4 seasons to be wholistic in our faith. 

Let's take a quick look at the 4 Seasons. According to LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com), this is what's inherent in each: 

Winter: Temperatures reach record lows. Snow and ice cover the land. Animals find ways to keep warm and many change their appearance. Nutrients are packed into the soil for vegetation to thrive in the warmer seasons.

Spring: Seeds take root. Fruit, vegetables, and flowers grow. Animals return from stays away or hibernation, often with new offspring. Weather is warm and often wet.

Summer: Sunshine is most abundant. Temperatures peak and can often cause droughts, heat waves, and forest fires. 

Fall: Temperatures cool off. Vegetation begins to go dormant. Animals store up for the colder season to come. 

Hmmmm...you see it...you see the analogy! In life, we have to go through the rainy season and the snowy blizzards. Those storms give us the spiritual vitamins to withstand what God has in store for us later in life; be it appreciation for the warmer, drier seasons or preparation for the colder, wetter ones. 

Some of us have seen some of the coldest winters ever (shout out to Sister Souljah). We've lost a child, gone through a divorce, become widowed, been without work for over a year, lost a parent, been diagnosed with illness... the list is endless here. Others of us have had some heavy rains or some spring storms. We've gone through a painful breakup, can't get ahead financially, people on our job are irritating; we feel stuck in a bad situation. And yet others of us have those random sprinkles in otherwise sunny seasons like the car not starting, a kid talking back, leaving a cell phone at home, or not being able to lose those last 10 lbs. 

No matter the level, we all need to experience all of the seasons of life to be better for God. Without those sprinkles, we wouldn't be reminded of how good it feels to live without them. We would never appreciate uninterrupted sunshine. Without those rainy days, we would be stifled in our spiritual growth. We'd live under the false impression that bad things don't happen. We don't believe in prosperity preaching; we believe in the real and living God who promised us that tough times would come. During those blizzards and long winters, the snow and cold pack down on top of us. But that's necessary! That process locks in the godly nutrients we need to survive in a world where bad things will continue to happen to great people. 

With each test, with each trial, we are able to stand stronger. We become a testimony to God's deliverance and His healing power. If we handle them right, our storms and blizzards draw others to Him. Shoot sometimes even when we handle them wrong, God still uses those unsightly conditions to edify His kingdom. 

We've had a lot of rain across the nation lately. People are feeling down and saddened by it. Cars are submerged under water. It's been a wet and weary season. But think about what awaits. All that moisture is feeding the land. Fruit and vegetables will harvest in abundance this season. Flowers will reach new levels of beauty when they are finally able to bloom. It's going to be a fruitful and beautiful season! So as summer is upon us, bask in the blessings of sunshine, but don't forget to dance in the rain. Be Blessed. XOXO