Story - Enjoying the Season
Story – Enjoy the Season!
“Come on, James, let’s go play in the snow!”
James looked up lethargically. His brother already had his snow bibs on and was energetically pulling boots over his feet.
“All right, I guess I’ll go. But I do wish it wasn’t so cold! I can’t wait for summer,” James grumbled.
For a brief moment, Eric felt tempted to complain about the cold too. But then the boys’ father walked into the room and offered to go sledding with them. One look at his father’s face wiped all thought of complaint from Eric’s mind. How could he complain when his father was with them? Besides, he also remembered how much he and his brother had longed for the cool weather last summer. He wasn’t going to complain about the cold! He was going to enjoy the season!
“It will be summer again soon enough,” he told James as they headed out the door. “Let’s enjoy winter while it’s here!”
Eric and James were keeping quite busy. Between finishing their schoolwork and all their other spring activities, they could hardly find any time for play or relaxation.
“Oh, man, I just wish things would slow down!” James moaned. “I do wish planting season would hurry up and end. I can’t wait to rest and relax in the summer.” James was just trying to survive the busy planting season.
Eric paused for a moment on his shovel to think about his brother’s words. “I’m sure Father wouldn’t give us more work to do than we could handle,” he reflected. “He loves us so perfectly. This hard work must be just what we need. I’m going to choose to enjoy it!”
“But we can’t possibly get it all done!” James countered.
Eric knew James was right. They had more things to do than they could ever hope to finish. James’s words brought the weight of all that needed done pressing down on Eric’s shoulders. Then Eric remembered—it was his father’s problem to figure out how everything would get done! Eric was only responsible for doing each task with a full heart. The smile returned to Eric’s face. He didn’t have to carry the burden; he just needed to be diligent with the tasks his father had given him.
Spring eventually ended and summertime came. Now, instead of having too much to do, the boys seemed to have the opposite problem. Besides keeping the crops watered and the grass mowed, there wasn’t much to do.
The inactivity, coupled with the summer heat, was taxing on the boys. Yet both chose drastically different responses. As he had in the past, James chose to complain. He longed for something—anything—exciting to happen. And he longed for a relief from the heat!
Eric, however, again chose to rejoice in the season. Although he, like James, felt the heat, he knew autumn would come soon enough, bringing cooler temperatures. And while he liked excitement just as much as his brother, Eric chose to use the quiet summer season to spend extra special time with his father. He spent hours sitting at his father’s workbench listening—and learning. The more he sat there, the more confident he became that his father would give him just what he needed in each season of life. He had only to trust and delight.
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
+++
Do you ever find yourself complaining like these two brothers? We are in the midst of one season and we long for the next. Then, when the new season comes, we are eagerly looking for the next change on the horizon. We can truly be a people who are never satisfied.
This is true when we face the cold of winter or the burning heat of the summer, but it also applies to many more aspect of life.
How many young couples have rushed to have a baby only to feel overwhelmed with the demands placed upon them. Then we yearn for the day the kids graduate and move off on their own, only to find that the empty nest is not all it was cracked up to be. We work hard for many years and look forward to retirement, only to end up board and dissatisfied. We are truly a fickle people at times.
What Solomon is seeking to remind us of is that every season of life brings its own joys and challenges. If we focus only on the challenges, we will miss the joys which are present right before us.
This can truly take an attitude adjustment. We have to make the choice to look for the joy in every circumstance of life and then live in this joy to the fullest. If we are only focused on the challenges, we will look back upon our lives with very few fond memories.
With the joy of each season of life filling our hearts, we are free to share love and excitement with others. This impacts our ability to share Jesus in a great way. When we are negative in our own lives and thoughts, it is difficult grasp the opportunity to share the love of God in Christ. However, when we are focused on the joys of life we find it is much easier to share what is most important to us with others.
May we celebrate each season of life and make the most of every opportunity. Then the joy of the Lord will fill us and flow through us.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
“Come on, James, let’s go play in the snow!”
James looked up lethargically. His brother already had his snow bibs on and was energetically pulling boots over his feet.
“All right, I guess I’ll go. But I do wish it wasn’t so cold! I can’t wait for summer,” James grumbled.
For a brief moment, Eric felt tempted to complain about the cold too. But then the boys’ father walked into the room and offered to go sledding with them. One look at his father’s face wiped all thought of complaint from Eric’s mind. How could he complain when his father was with them? Besides, he also remembered how much he and his brother had longed for the cool weather last summer. He wasn’t going to complain about the cold! He was going to enjoy the season!
“It will be summer again soon enough,” he told James as they headed out the door. “Let’s enjoy winter while it’s here!”
Eric and James were keeping quite busy. Between finishing their schoolwork and all their other spring activities, they could hardly find any time for play or relaxation.
“Oh, man, I just wish things would slow down!” James moaned. “I do wish planting season would hurry up and end. I can’t wait to rest and relax in the summer.” James was just trying to survive the busy planting season.
Eric paused for a moment on his shovel to think about his brother’s words. “I’m sure Father wouldn’t give us more work to do than we could handle,” he reflected. “He loves us so perfectly. This hard work must be just what we need. I’m going to choose to enjoy it!”
“But we can’t possibly get it all done!” James countered.
Eric knew James was right. They had more things to do than they could ever hope to finish. James’s words brought the weight of all that needed done pressing down on Eric’s shoulders. Then Eric remembered—it was his father’s problem to figure out how everything would get done! Eric was only responsible for doing each task with a full heart. The smile returned to Eric’s face. He didn’t have to carry the burden; he just needed to be diligent with the tasks his father had given him.
Spring eventually ended and summertime came. Now, instead of having too much to do, the boys seemed to have the opposite problem. Besides keeping the crops watered and the grass mowed, there wasn’t much to do.
The inactivity, coupled with the summer heat, was taxing on the boys. Yet both chose drastically different responses. As he had in the past, James chose to complain. He longed for something—anything—exciting to happen. And he longed for a relief from the heat!
Eric, however, again chose to rejoice in the season. Although he, like James, felt the heat, he knew autumn would come soon enough, bringing cooler temperatures. And while he liked excitement just as much as his brother, Eric chose to use the quiet summer season to spend extra special time with his father. He spent hours sitting at his father’s workbench listening—and learning. The more he sat there, the more confident he became that his father would give him just what he needed in each season of life. He had only to trust and delight.
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
+++
Do you ever find yourself complaining like these two brothers? We are in the midst of one season and we long for the next. Then, when the new season comes, we are eagerly looking for the next change on the horizon. We can truly be a people who are never satisfied.
This is true when we face the cold of winter or the burning heat of the summer, but it also applies to many more aspect of life.
How many young couples have rushed to have a baby only to feel overwhelmed with the demands placed upon them. Then we yearn for the day the kids graduate and move off on their own, only to find that the empty nest is not all it was cracked up to be. We work hard for many years and look forward to retirement, only to end up board and dissatisfied. We are truly a fickle people at times.
What Solomon is seeking to remind us of is that every season of life brings its own joys and challenges. If we focus only on the challenges, we will miss the joys which are present right before us.
This can truly take an attitude adjustment. We have to make the choice to look for the joy in every circumstance of life and then live in this joy to the fullest. If we are only focused on the challenges, we will look back upon our lives with very few fond memories.
With the joy of each season of life filling our hearts, we are free to share love and excitement with others. This impacts our ability to share Jesus in a great way. When we are negative in our own lives and thoughts, it is difficult grasp the opportunity to share the love of God in Christ. However, when we are focused on the joys of life we find it is much easier to share what is most important to us with others.
May we celebrate each season of life and make the most of every opportunity. Then the joy of the Lord will fill us and flow through us.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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