Enjoying the Seasons

Enjoying the Seasons

The trees are growing their leaves, the flowers are blooming, and the smells of spring are in the air.  As I write this, I can hear a cricket chirp and the wind blow through the trees out my window.  Only a few weeks ago the doors and the windows were sealed shut in order to keep the cold out.  Now, however, spring is coming in full bloom, and before we know it summer will be here. 

In my own life, I often take for granted the amazing moments and experiences as I rush right past them.  I have my “to do” list in my mind, and I work hard to get everything accomplished before the day is over.  In this, nevertheless, I often race past special moments, and don’t take the time to savor what is happening in the moment. 

Tonight, I was able to enjoy a date with my daughter.  We went out to a fancy dinner (Pizza Hut) and we went to the Mall.  My plan was to make the evening all about her.  I took her to eat her favorite food (or so I think), and in the Mall we ran down the halls, in and out of stores.  It was so much fun to see the fullness or her enjoyment in these seemingly small things.

After thinking about the evening, I realized that I frequently neglect to embrace and enjoy times like this.  How highly do we as a culture value the idea of slowing down, and savoring in thankfulness life experiences?  We might initially think that we do value it; however, in action I think we place a higher value on effectiveness and efficiency.  Getting things done, and not “wasting” valuable time. 

It is here that we see a contrast between accomplishment in busyness and accomplishment in enjoyment.  This last Sunday morning we studied Philippians 2:12-18 which focused on working out our salvation because God is already working in us, giving us new (good) desires, and the effective power to accomplish those desires.  I believe savoring life’s moments is a part of working out, or drawing out the fullness of our salvation.  I think it is actually good to take time and enjoy the season in which God has placed us and be content with what God has given us.  

This may seem a little obvious, however, I know in my own life, I sometimes feel guilty if I don’t complete my “to do” list.  I don’t feel effective, and efficient and almost lazy if I stop my task and focus on intentional relational time with my wife, daughter, friends and others.  I feel like I shouldn’t be having fun, when there is so much “work” to do. 

Throughout the Bible, though, God gives us insights and directs us to take time to enjoy the season we are in.  In the Gospels we see Jesus tell Martha that Mary’s intentional rest and relational enjoyment with Him was actually more commendable than Martha’s service.  The Story goes like this,

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ^‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things,  but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:38-41, NIV)

With this we see that Jesus commends Mary for just sitting and listening to Him, savoring the moment she had to be with Him.

In the New Testament letters we are told by the Apostle Paul that, “…godliness with contentment is great gain.   For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.   But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Tim. 6:6)

And in the writings of the Old Testament, we are told by “the teacher” that, “there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God...” and that, “…there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot” (Ecc. 3:11-13, 22a, NIV).

It is good for us to take time to enjoy the seasons of life.  We should not rush past the moments that God has given us.  For those of us who are parents, this means taking time to enjoy our children, listening to them and going on outings with them.  If married it might mean taking time to happily invest in date nights with your spouse, if single it could mean sitting with a friend over a cup of good coffee enjoying their presence, at work it could mean striving to enjoy the work that you do, and for all of us who have a relationship with Jesus, this may mean happily spending time sitting at His feet in prayer or study of His Word. 

There are so many applications to our lives when we think about thankfully savoring and enjoying the season of life we are in. 

Father please help us to love You and fully enjoy all that You are and all that You have blessed us with!  

Trev~

“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.

“What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man” (Ecc. 3:1-13, ESV)