“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
Writing prompt: Write about a season you are currently experiencing or have experienced. How did God meet your needs during this season? How did it affect your writing life?
Now and Then
The seasons of our lives, the blessings and crushing challenges all make up our stories.
A couple of weeks ago, while preparing this month’s blog post, I listened to music on YouTube. Lo-and-behold I found a recent video of a new song by The Beatles, the favourite band of my youth and even today. The song’s title is Now and Then. The video is a masterpiece of today’s technological wonders.
The Now and Then video calls me back to a season in life when my beloved parents were alive and well. This was a season when I was in the grips of my high school years and determining where I fit into the world. I now look back on my younger years and ask, where did the years, the seasons, go?
Seasons Change
Life has been heavy at times and strewn with the lashes of storms amid cloud-covered seasons. Seasons when the storms of life crushed my soul, such as my two-year period of ministry burnout and the years when my father, then my mother, entered heaven.
The year 2019 brought a season of clouds, a season that lasted for two years. As one who loves nature, it was as if the clouds were at war with the sun. This was like a dark season, where trees bowed in despair and dropped their leaves in a forever winter. I viewed life as a mountain, where brambles and thorns covered the road to heaven. Such a long road. The Enemy tried to convince me God had forsaken me and left me alone.
I thank the Lord that cloudy seasons give way to seasons of warmth, where the sun breaks through. What I must also remember is that God is in the storms and I am not alone.
A Season to Write
This reality of cloudy seasons, however, allowed me to keep on writing. This was no act of valor but an expression of faith.
My mind records the year 2015 as the year my writing took flight. Our beloved Tracy Krauss asked me to write for our InScribe blog, and I have been contributing to the blog ever since. Not long after this tremendous honour, my dear friend Glynis M. Belec gave me an opportunity to contribute to a book on grief. In 2017, the publisher released the book Good Grief People.
Now, in the autumn of my life, I work at laying aside the weight and clearing the brambles of my past. In this season, I pray to God I can publish at least a couple of writing projects before my pen dries up.
Dear readers, please allow me to suggest that one’s cloudy seasons help one nurture and confirm a call to write. One can release words into the world; with prayers they help others.
When the winter of life comes upon me, I will look forward to one day knocking on heaven’s door and being ushered into the presence of God. I will then know beyond all doubt that all the seasons of life worked together for good.
Concluding Thoughts
Dear friends, we may experience seasons of life with huggable embraces while others we wish we could run from. These times, both blessing and suffering, are all part of the life God has granted to us. May we all stay faithful and endure the times, the seasons, we experience as we live this life.
Our seasons of life all lead to heaven. When we reach the place where God is, we will know this life was worth all we had to endure. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home with trees all around and where he finds inspiration to write. He occasionally writes articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan’s website and blog is https://scarredjoy.ca.
Thank you so much for this view of the various seasons of your life and writing, Alan. I was especially encouraged by your statement "one’s cloudy seasons help one nurture and confirm a call to write." Yes, often our writing and other ministries come out of the crucibles of life. Your challenge, too, inspired me as you wrote: "May we all stay faithful and endure the times, the seasons, we experience as we live this life." We'll also anticipate the Lord's "Well done, good and faithful servant", as we enter heaven.
ReplyDeleteDear Sandi, thank you for your always encouraging comments. We are servants together in all the seasons we experience. Blessings to you, dear friend.
DeleteThank you, Alan, for your heartwarming words today. This line popped out as I read your post: "I will then know beyond all doubt that all the seasons of life worked together for good." Amen!
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda! We always have the comfort to know God is aware of all our seasons in life. Blessings, my friend.
DeleteThanks for your very thought filled post, Alan. Love your final words, “Our seasons of life all lead to heaven. When we reach the place where God is, we will know this life was worth all we had to endure. Come, Lord Jesus, come!” May God continue to pierce through your darkest days with His light. (And may you continue to enjoy the Beatles!)
ReplyDeleteSharon, I am always thankful for your comments on posts. Thank you for your prayers and blessings, my friend. :)
ReplyDeleteDear Alan, I found your writing particularly poignant and strong. I mean poignant in the sense of sadness, but not of any regret, for you trusted in God through all of tough times. You didn't let the tempter drag you down. You described well, how the seasons changed and also reminded us that these tough seasons can be a time to write. For me, it's taken a while since my husband's passing in 2022 to get back to writing. I pray the following scripture for you and your family, Alan. "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (Paul's writing in Romans 15: 13) Amen (Sharon Espeseth)
ReplyDeleteDear Sharon, your comments touched me as I read them. I pray the Lord will continue to comfort you as you miss your beloved husband. In time, I pray you will write and continue to bless others through your words and life.
DeleteAlan, my delay in commenting on your post is partly due to re-reading it several times because of the depth of insight into your personal seasons. I identified with much of your post, especially this gem, "Dear readers, please allow me to suggest that one’s cloudy seasons help one nurture and confirm a call to write. One can release words into the world; with prayers they help others."
ReplyDeleteIf we are willing to learn from them, cloudy seasons have so much to teach us, and we, in turn, can share the hard-won lessons with others, as you so often do. Thank you!
Dear Valerie, I believe we are kindred spirits. Our cloudy seasons have meaning we may share with others. I love we can be in this world together even if we haven't met in person. :)
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