Seasons of life

blogseasonscollage For the first few years of marriage to the Papa of this empty nest, we lived in the southwestern plains – Oklahoma to be exact.

You know – “Ooooooooook-la-homa where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain and the wavin’ wheat can sure smell sweet, when the wind comes right behind the rain.”

Not long after we moved there, we started hearing this saying, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait awhile, it will change.” I suspect a lot of folks comment that way in several areas of the country, but we did find it to be true of Oklahoma while we lived there.

You never knew when a dust storm might blow in choking you, whether you were indoors or out, or when a whirling tornado might come sweeping down those plains bringing destruction in its wake. One minute it might be warm or downright hotter than hot and the next, the wind would drive in a cold front.

And even now, all these many years later, I still talk about the weather we experienced when we lived in the Sooner State.

Weather. It’s a safe topic that people discuss when they can’t think of anything else to say. In my neck of the woods, we’ve been discussing the weather quite a bit lately. This winter season hasn’t been the norm. This year, winter fits that category of ‘if you don’t like the weather…’

One week, we might have freezing or below zero temperatures and the next week, that little red line starts soaring up the outside thermometer and registers in the 60’s. Some weeks, we’ve experienced snowfall; some weeks, rain; some weeks, nothing but sunny skies and spring-like days.

I believe we are truly blessed to experience all four seasons distinctly here in my home state and I am one of those rare souls who actually enjoys winter’s cold and snow. It’s not my most favorite season because autumn claims that spot, but winter definitely usurps summer on my list.

Why all this talk about weather? This week’s photo challenge theme is seasons. And it prompts me to think about how I weather the seasons of my life.

Seasons come and seasons go and often they just aren’t the same as the year before like we’ve noticed this winter. And isn’t that all too true in life as well? Our seasons of life differ from year to year.

Seasons of busyness. Seasons of rest. Seasons of joy. Seasons of sadness. Seasons of happiness. Seasons of trials. Seasons of tranquility. Seasons of turmoil.

It’s all a part of life. Some seasons are our favorites. Some seasons we’d rather forget. But each season – good or bad – molds me into the person that I am. I’m positive I need to be thankful for that and give all my gratitude to the One who helps me through my seasons of life.

“The coming and going of the seasons give us more than the springtimes, summers, autumns, and winters of our lives. It reflects the coming and going of the circumstances of our lives like the glassy surface of a pond that shows our faces radiant with joy or contorted with pain.” ~ Gary Zukav