Change of Season - Season of Change
Ecclesiastes 3:1
There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.
We’ve just sailed past the autumn equinox and are headed full steam into the glorious month of October. I try not to play favorites, but truly, this is my favorite time of year.
The fields are full of pumpkins and mums are on every corner, they are small tokens of beauty God has gifted to us. The morning light has changed and even the air smells different. This season has the ability to energize and at the same time calm us as we watch the leaves surrender to the next phase of their remarkable journey.
October is like a deep sigh, seated in-between the blistering hot summer days and the sensory-overloaded holidays. Might this “sigh” be a chance to consider what your next season of life might look like? Could you use a change of season to launch a personal transformation, even a small one?
Here are some resolutions people have recently shared with me: Make the bed every day upon rising. No screen time after 9pm. Floss teeth daily. One-minute plank every morning. Zero sugar this month. Take up Pickleball and meet a new friend. Clean out and organize one drawer every Saturday morning. Write and mail one encouragement card each week. Join a church committee to serve widows. Read a different Bible translation for this entire month.
Do you have some area in your life to which you could give attention? It need not be a huge alteration of your schedule, simply add a small habit or practice to each day.
To adjust any part of your life, it helps to answer some questions: (seriously, write your answers somewhere, it makes a huge difference, as does placing the answers where you will see them frequently).
1. What is one area in which I want to experience change? (For example, be more punctual, honest, healthy, self-restrained, joyful, prayerful…) Consider growing deeper, not just doing more.
2. What one step can I take today to point me in this direction? (Make small shifts. It is proven to be the most effective way to any change). The idea is not to perfectly “conquer” your new habit and finally get it right, but to move closer to the person you want to be! There is a German saying I find helpful, “Little and often make a lot”.
3. What will get in the way? (Because something always does!) Plan what to do when it happens so you’re not completely derailed by the obstacle.
4. Who is one person with whom I’ll share my plan? (We all need a cheer-squad and good support, and perhaps a little accountability).
5. Ask yourself what God wants from you in this season. Is he inviting you to release something harmful to you? Or to increase an area of spiritual progress? (When I struggle with some kind of change, I take comfort in the steadiness of each sunrise and sunset, and remember the seasons come and go year after year. I can count on these certain aspects in nature. It reminds me I can also cling to God’s unchanging mercy. He wants what is best for me).
Lessons from the Trees
Some changes in our life come about due to a decision we make to change, others come unbidden and take us by surprise. Can we accept change as a normal part of life? It’s like the old saying, the only certainty in life is the certainty of change.
Either way, a change we’ve chosen to make, or one that’s been made for us, this rule of response applies: we must do the work required to withstand the challenge and/or accomplish the goal. Every change brings us into a new phase of life and stipulates some adjustment. As we accept this transformation, we realize there can be some level of good to arise from the circumstance. We just need to remember to look for and find it.
Change is inevitable. For example, in our physical body, someone who is sixty-nine doesn’t move or heal the way they did at twenty-nine. This does not surprise us; we expect nothing different. We all experience shifts in our hopes and dreams, in our health and relationships; they morph as we move through life. All of nature goes through these predictable transitions without regret.
Sometimes, a change comes along, and prompts us (again) to let go of things that hold us back or events from the past. These reminders are a gift, even when they feel uncomfortable. Leaves falling in this season of change demonstrates how trees let go in order to thrive in the months ahead.
One great lesson we might learn from the trees is, they teach us how pretty change can be. Our approach and acceptance to change is key to personal growth.
One Idea
A friend bought a sketch book to create a daily prompt toward her goal. On the first page she wrote in big letters, “Season of Change”. Each day, she writes some thought or inspiring quote about her goal, or she sketches images expressing her reflections. She admits she’s not a super-creative/artistic person but wanted to try something new. Her objective is not to have a perfect journal for others to see but to stay focused with a daily reminder of what she hopes to accomplish.
What can be learned in this time of year? What if we embrace the process of change as a sacred passing of time and a beautiful season of growth. Breathe in deeply, remember God is constant. As this verse reminds us, he remains steadily by our side to support and help us.
“Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, who shines from the heavens
with no hidden shadow or darkness
and is never subject to change.”
James 1:17 (Passion Translation)
I pray you find joy and comfort as you welcome this new month and learn the lessons from the trees. Thank God for his faithfulness. We can count on him.
Share in the comments section below a change you’re aiming for!
Not just a change of season - - - but a season of change!