There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NIV
With it being fall time (or autumn if you are a proper person) and with me having been off the road for almost three months, I’ve been thinking a lot about endings. See, autumn is a ending season. It’s the end of summer and the start of winter. It’s the end of warmer weather, and we move into cold. And while some of us love the cooler and shorter days, some of us dread it. It’s change, and change stinks.
But … there is a certain beauty in that change. The leaves change from green to vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. The chrisp fall air leaves puffs of white as it dances off of our lips. It’s time to pull out our bulky sweaters and boots. Scarves and hats.
And while I was having a leaf fight with my kiddos at school today, a though struck me. Our lives have seasons.
Shocker. People say it all the time. But, seriously. Compare literal seasons of the year with the seasons of life.
We will start with spring. God’s brought us to a new area of life, whether that’s a new relationship or friendship, havingnkids, moving, a new job or adventure, whatever! It’s beautiful and new. We’re exploring the new world around us, and it’s amazing!
Summer is when we’ve been in the same place for a while and we’re loving it. It’s the fun season. We aren’t as tentative anymore. In fact, we’re running full throttle through it. It’s exactly where we want to be and it’s amazing.
Fall is the season where we’re beginning to change. It’s the change that comes slowly, easily. It’s not sudden or drastic. It’s the change of letting what we thought we wanted or needed go and letting the Lord change us into something new. It can be chilly at times, but God soothes us with warm days here and there.
And lastly, winter. It’s the cold season. The one we’re not sure we’ll make it through. It hurts. It’s painful and lonely. We don’t want it anymore, and yet it lingers. We just want to scram and throw a temper tantrum on the ground. WHY GOD?! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME HERE?!
I’ve been in each season. Sometimes they coincide, unlike the yearly seasons. (Although in Illinois, sometimes we have all four in a day!) Sometimes we are in the start of spring, yet the cold winds of winter still sting. Or a spring pushes in on a summer.
But fall. That’s a season I’m in right now. The change of not traveling this year; of allowing God to mold me as I work at the school in town. It’s a gradual change. It’s cold at times. But, God gives me the blessing of warm days. Being apart from my boyfriend is definitely a winter season, yet as we’re nearing the day we’re together again, it feels colder and colder, even as the spring is nearing.
I love the verse in Ecclesiastes about a time and season for everything under heaven. There are times we aren’t going to feel joyful. There are times we aren’t going understand why God’s put us where He has. But we need to trust Him that He will make everything beautiful it it’s time.
Even the endings.
The Augustine Adventure 
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