There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
To everything, turn, turn, turn.
Perhaps you’re old enough to remember that classic song “Turn, Turn, Turn” by a group called The Byrds. It was one of those penetrating songs that spoke to the hearts of almost every listener.
I’ve had the four seasons on my mind as I’ve planned out upcoming posts for this blog. If you’ve been watching, you’ve probably noticed that I started posting tropical and other summertimes cakes, cookies, and so on in recent months, like the Pineapple Coconut Cake below.
In spite of the fact that it’s still summer here in South Texas as I pen this devotion, I recently added a post dedicated to fall cake, cookies, cupcakes, and more.
I’m already plotting out the various holiday treats I’m going to bake all the way through Christmas.
And believe it or not, I’ve even put together a plan for my spring baking.
As you might imagine, a blog like this depends a lot on the changing seasons. People want different baked goods at different times of year–different spices, different flavors, different looks.
In short, they want change.
Change isn’t Easy
We can all relate to the changing of the seasons.
- We start new projects in the blissful springtime of our lives.
- Everything comes into fruition in our joyous summer.
- Relationships, projects, ideas, and dreams often wind down in the coolness of autumn.
- And we often feel solitary and alone in the dead of winter, wondering if our dreams will ever re-ignite.
- Then, just about the time we wonder if there’s anything good left out there for us, a spiritual springtime occurs that gives us hope.
The tumultuous seasons we slog our way through aren’t always easy, but they always pass. They breeze by like shifting autumn winds into the next season, whether we’re ready or not.
Seasons of Change
I don’t know about you but I’ve been propelled through all four seasons at a rapid clip over the past several months. I watched the ending of many things I loved and the birth of new and exciting dreams and possibilities.
I’ve laid down the comfortable and picked up the new and uncomfortable.
I’ve walked out of seasons of knowing where I fit into a season of “I’m not sure how this is going to go, Lord, so I just have to trust in You.”
In short, I’ve been through changes. Many. All at once.
And even though it hasn’t been easy, I’ve felt God’s hand guiding me every step of the way.
I Don’t Know What Season You’re In
You might be in a springtime season where God is birthing new dreams, ideas, and relationships.
You might be in summer, where everything around you is full bloom, and coming to fruition.
Perhaps you’re in autumn, and you sense that the Lord is about to close some doors that have been open for years.
Or maybe you’re in a winter season–and you’re wondering if springtime will ever come.
Spring Always Comes
After every winter, blades of grass come peeking through. Birds begin to sing. April showers fall. And all that was dead and buried in the wintertime comes alive in a fresh, new way.
The lesson for us all is really quite simple and profound: don’t fight the seasons. Let God use them to give and take away. And trust that, for every thing He’s taking, there’s plenty more headed your way.
Trust Him in the goodbyes.
Rejoice with Him in the hellos.
And always remember. . .
God is with you in the turning.
About the Author
Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.