Two-minute read.
As a teenager in the eighties, I loved the movie “Footloose,” about a city boy who moves to a small town and takes on a grieving preacher’s strict rules. After losing his son in a tragic car accident, the preacher blames dancing for the loss and forbids anyone in the town to partake in anything remotely like it. Of course, the pastor has a beautiful daughter, who captures the city boy’s heart and inspires him to confront her father. Standing in front of the town hall, the young hero reads a passage from Ecclesiastes:
“…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…”
Ecclesiastes 3:4
As the young high school boy reads these words, the emotions play over the pastor’s face as truth takes root, shedding light on the darkness. In life, we will grieve and dance, but not at the same time. Everything has its time and place. Unfortunately, times of intense pain do happen to everyone. Loss of a loved one, especially in an unexpected tragedy, knocks us off our feet, and getting back up challenges anyone, but when we know the Lord, He will help us find our footing. And believe it or not, with God’s help, like the pastor, we can even dance again.
Seasons come and go, the happy and the sad. Today’s circumstances can change in a breath, either way. During a period of unemployment in my early thirties, it seemed never to end. Five months felt like five years. As I pounded the pavement, sending resumes, following up on leads, doing everything I could to land another job, nothing happened. As I battled the hopelessness of those days, I kept my eyes on Jesus by beginning to tithe. Faith sustained me. And a phone call turned my frown upside down when I got offered my dream job, making more money than I’d ever made in my life.
We journey through the seasons of life. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we’ll cherish the good times and persevere through the bad, knowing that everything has its season. Eventually, we’ll leave the troubles of this world behind and spend eternity basking in God’s glory. Until then, we can trust that the seasons will end and time will continue to move forward, each of our journeys different.
Journal Questions:
What season do you find yourself in today?
When you think of seasons in your life, how does today’s verse apply to them?
How do you cherish the seasons in your life?
Application:
Thank God for His faithfulness through changing times.
