A New Season
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
It has been a beautiful spring here in western Kentucky. The redbuds were beautiful this year and the dogwoods magnificent. The daffodils came early and added a splash of color to the bleak landscape. Now the trees are showing off their many shades of green. I love spring! Spring, however, does not last. All too soon summer will arrive, then fall and then winter. After that the cycle will repeat itself. Seasons come, seasons go.
Just as God created the world with more or less definable seasons, there seems to be seasons in our human journey. We have seasons characterized by new beginnings. We have seasons characterized by growth. We have seasons of decline. We have seasons of ending. And as with the natural seasons, the seasons of our lives often repeat themselves. A time of ending will often usher in a time for new beginnings. It’s all a part of this wonderful journey we call life.
I currently find myself at a seasonal transition. In just four days I will be retiring. After forty-four years as a minister I am stepping down from full-time church work. This is an ending that comes with a lot of mixed emotions. I am sadder than I thought I would be. There is much I am going to miss about being a pastor. At the same time I find myself elated by this ending. There is much I am not going to miss about being a pastor. I am ready for a new beginning. Or at least I think I am. Who knows what the future holds? I can only trust that the One who has guided me thus far will guide me until the end.
What I hope to do in this next season is spend more time studying and photographing God’s Creation. I will certainly have more time to do so. I hope to draw closer to God in this new season of my life. Sad to say, pastors often spend so much time serving God that they do not have adequate time to commune with God. I want to spend more time simply being in the presence of God. That does not mean I do not want to continue to serve. I do. I cannot imagine a life that does not include serving others. I hope to read more, write more, travel more, live more. I hope to be a better husband. I hope to be a better friend. I hope to be a better me.
I am thankful for the four seasons of the year and I find myself now being grateful for the changing seasons of life. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for me. To quote Dag Hammarskjold words found in his journal Markings, “For all that has been–Thanks. For all that shall be–Yes.”
–Chuck