Seasons...

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time for every purpose, under Heaven A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time for every purpose, under Heaven A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones,    a time to gather stones together To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time for every purpose, under Heaven A time of love, a time of hate A time of war, a time of peace A time you may embrace,    a time to refrain from embracing To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn) There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) And a time for every purpose, under Heaven A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time to love, a time to hate A time for peace, I swear it's not too late There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn) by Pete Seeger Words adapted from The Bible, Book of Ecclesiastes

More and more I realize how that I am a living example of this. My life, like everyone's, rolls like an ocean wave from one season to the next, and--at times--I feel as though I might even go insane with the volatility of the changes. Doesn't everyday life do this enough to us? ...but I die and grow... of that I am certain. We can all--except the youngest of us--look back and say, "Yeah, that was me..."

I'm a teacher now, but who knows what kind of butterfly I may one day become. I can remember my early days in college and I just sit back with an amazed, humbled, and grace sigh... Things have changed... Seasons have come... Seasons have gone...

I find myself remembering the story of the vine. In this story of course, there is the gardener who take care of vine with such love and intricate wisdom. Each and every day, the gardener so tenderly examines his vine with such a keen eye for detail. The vine of course is healthy, he sees that well, but the branches... They are not always in the best condition. In fact, some of them have even died and are nothing more than withered, twisted pieces clinging to the vine by only the very base of their stem. With a sigh, the gardener know he must snip these off, regretting loosing them all the while and mindful that the vine too is hurt by them.

But then there are the good branches, the ones with fruit. You know for sure that a gentile smile comes to the gardener's face by these. So what does he do with these beautiful, fruit-laden extensions of the vine? Ever so gently he caresses their fruit and picks it, and then...then he snips off the ends of these, even these good branches!

But it is just the end of these good branches...for the garden knows that pruning the branches thus will cause them to produce more fruit still yet. Thus despite the temporary pain, the end will be more fruit and even great delight...

Life is such, my friend. There are seasons in all our lives. One of the biggest for me was the transition from high school to college. To admitted, personally, high school (and pretty much ALL of my schooling before it) was crazy! I was raised outside the city, somewhat isolated with less than a handful of children my age close by. Going to school meant that for the duration of each school day, I had try to "fit into" a social structure that was mostly foreign for me, and as it was full of small social circles, I found myself squeezed in the middle of them not knowing what in the world was usually going on! I was a matter of just surviving another day...over and over again.

Well, before graduating, things began to suddenly change. Especially my last semester, friends began to pop up everywhere, and I had a good group of friends. They even threw a send off party for college!

...but then if left...

The season changed... The gardener pruned me... He cut off the good in my life...but from it more good grew...

This is not some long writing to explain all the bad in the world... just a small note that I know many of us can identify with. Life changes, and indeed it should. Some one once said that status quo is the enemy of the better things to come. Another man, Smith Wigglesworth said that he didn't want to be satisfied with good. He didn't want better either. He didn't even want to be satisfied with the best. He only wanted to be satisfied with the best... with improvement...

There is a time for all things, my friend. Indeed enjoy life and have fun, but know that there is always room for improvement and growth. We might stop growing physically, but we never stop on the inside, in our heart, mind, soul, and spirit.

To even season, turn, turn, turn...

I don't think that I will ever stop learning lessons about this, but at the same time I think none of us ever truly should...