I like all four Seasons – Winter, Spring, Summer, & Fall. They come and go bringing with them numerous emotions and opportunities.
Similar to nature, I think our personal lives even go through similar “Seasons” – segments of time when things are going very well, maybe not-so-well, times of encouragement, times of discouragement, times of excitement, even times of “lull”.
Scripture points to these natural seasons, too, stating: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
After the overwhelming response to a previous post where I asked for feedback, I’m attempting this again…
What do YOU do during these “seasons of life”? Both the good and the bad. How do you cope with the bad, and how how do you rejoice when you’re living in a “good” season?
Do what your own Dad has exampled will in looking for in each season…reasons to shout with either joy, thanksgiving, praise, rejoicing, gladness, confession, honor, glory and love!!!!! Scriptures back this up for we that are followers of Christ – in every circumstance (season)!!
I thought you might be interested in our new Huckabee video, “A Call to Texans.” You can view the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhApGSuT2BY
Please post this on your blog and pass it on to all your friends in Texas!
I think this a great question to ask. Coping with the bad is far easier for me to handle because I realize that it’s totally in God’s control in regards to what happens next and there is nothing that I can really do about it.
Coping with the good is much more difficult because I have to continually catch myself and restrain my thinking because I sometimes fall into the fallacy of thought that I have brought this good about on my own without God’s involvement.
Rejoicing in the bad is easy as long as I can keep my perspective and not dwell “IN” the situation but rather focus on going “THROUGH” the situation. If I can do that, then hope abounds no matter how difficult the situation may be.
On the same token, rejoicing when things are good is a humbling experience and I often find myself awestruck that God would bring this particular joy to me and allow me to experience it.
That’s my thoughts for what it’s worth.
What a great question! If I was eloquent; if I could put my heart in words like John Howell, I would say just what he said.
You would think the older we get, we would learn to rejoice better, praise God and worship Him more authentically during the good times, when we are not having to struggle to keep you head above water. In my own life, I find myself becoming too comfortable; getting all caught up in ‘life’ once again, and then God has to allow another hurdle, or Mt. Everest to bring me back to that place where I loose myself in God’s will and His strength.
I truly have been seeking God’s help in transforming and changing me in this area. I want to worship, praise, seek, hunger, lean and study just as much in the good times as I do in the trenches. I love being the age that I am. I appreciate the seasons of my life. Our children and our grandchildren are among our greatest treasures of the culmination of those seasons. With each season though, I find that the canvas just seems like the ‘work’, ‘the project’ has so much more work to finish.
When things are tough…..
I eat ‘comfort’ food.
When things are good……
I eat ‘junk’ food.
And I believe God is in control through every season, even if it hurts or even if it is too good to be true.
It seems God is either growing,training, or stretching me or He is proving, using or strengthening me.