A Time to Plant, and a Time to Reap . . .

I've come to realize more and more the last few years that our lives are made up of seasons - some more pleasant (like Spring and Fall), full of vibrant color, heady scents, and pleasant days, and others more trying, with their hot, sultry temperatures, or frigid blasts of cold.  But I continue to learn more about myself in these not-so-pleasant seasons of life.

Have you noticed how wonderful the air-conditioning feels on those humid, breath-stealing days of summer?  Or how pleasant it is to dip your feet into the little stream at the edge of the woods?  Maybe your pleasure is that steaming cup of hot chocolate, snuggled up on the couch with your favorite person/people and watching an old movie while the cold winds of winter howl outside your window.  No matter the season, there are elements of pleasure, satisfaction and fulfillment waiting, if we're persistent enough to find and embrace them.

That's where I am in life.  Don's illness continues to sharpen its talons and tighten its grip.  Our 20-year-old house is having little problems of age crop up from time to time.  My 63-year-old body is showing some signs of the years of not exercising enough, or, perhaps, of excessive use of certain muscles.  But, in it all, I've found contentment in being able to spend these quality weeks and months with the love of my life.  The tenderness of friends and family touches me deeply and gives me strength to face one more day.  The ever-faithful love of my Heavenly Father encourages me and uplifts me. 

There's no escaping the heat or the frigid cold of our lives.  But I do believe we can keep it on the outside.  Not be overly influenced by it.  Some days, I find this perspective and sunny outlook more difficult to come by, but my goal is to recognize the seasons of life and glean the best from each of them.