Our Season

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ec 3:1 AV)

 

We have had the privilege of enjoying the preaching of Bro Justyn Smith the last few nights.  Last night was no exception.  The above verse was his main passage and it spoke to me dearly.  I will not re-preach his sermon, but I will say it was a much-needed and practical truth we all needed.  Especially me and my wife at this time.  In fact,  I cannot think of another meeting that has so directly and appropriately met my needs in a very pointed and specific way.  The point of his message was the facts of seasons and our response to them.  Every individual, couple, family, church, society, nation, etc goes through seasons.  Sometimes they are enjoyable.  Other times, not so much.  We are thrilled with spring and summer arrive.  We welcome the Christmas season.  We even enjoy the crisp clean air of the fall.  But when winter comes and there are no holidays to break it up, we get a bit downcast.  The same is true of life.  There are good times and not-so-good times.  There are times we know are coming and we look forward to them.  There are times we know are coming and we put them out of our minds and think if we do not dwell on them, they will never come.  We were reminded of several things last night.  First, the seasons are from God that we might grow and mature.  Second, there is always a purpose for whatever season comes.  Third, God has made everything beautiful in His time.  Forth, our response to our seasons of life is what matters.

As many know, my wife has been diagnosed with stage IV metastatic neuroendocrine tumor cancer.  NET cancer for short.  Having ministered to people with far worse cancers and helped many graduate into heaven, one would think when this intruder entered our lives, I would have been far more prepared for it.  Maybe I was.  Maybe I was not.  The one thought I continue to have is this uninvited guest came into our lives way too early.  We have enjoyed our empty-nest years for the last five years.  I was planning on a few decades of this precious season of life.  It is awesome!  It is like picking up where we left off thirty-five years ago.  Every moment is like we are dating all over again.  Those who cling to their extended families rather than their spouses don’t know what they are missing.  Every small trip we take is like a romantic getaway.  Last fall we went up north to Door County, WI for three days.  Just walking and driving along the shores of Lake Michigan was like we were in our early twenties and enjoying one another’s company unencumbered by crying babies who need attention.  I expected this awesome season of life to be a long one.  Now, our weeks are filled with doctors' appointments, treatments, and tests.  Cancer is like a horrible third person on a date.  It is always there, clamoring for attention.  It wants to be the most important thing in the room.  It is a rude intruder who never gives you a moment's peace.  Just when life is good, it rears its ugly head to remind you life indeed, is not perfect.

But this is our season.  I know that we are no different than anyone else who faces the same trial.  I know that in the grand scheme of things, God will meet us amid this season and bear us up so that we might be able to get through with joy and faith.  I realize there are predictable stages one goes through is accepting and adjusting to this season of life.  I know based on my experience of seeing others go through similar things that given time and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we will come through this with confidence and joy.  This season, like many are hard to travel.  We wish it never would have come.  But now that we are in it, we understand the hand of the LORD in all of it and take the passage above, plus others Bro. Smith used, to navigate through this for the glory of God.  Believe it or not, our biggest prayer is that God can use this experience as strength for someone else.  My greatest fear is not the threat cancer may pose.  Rather, it is my reaction to it as others are watching.  They expect the pastor to be an example of faith and strength. Little do they know he feels what they feel but fears to show it.  As Paul said, “But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?” (2Co 2:1-2 AV)  So, let us bear one another up in prayer and encouragement.  We don’t have to go through our seasons alone.  God is always there.  He knows the season because He determined them.  He did so out of a heart of love.