In Seasons of Waiting… Remember

Season noun 1a: a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature b: a suitable or natural time or occasion c: an indefinite period of time : while

Seasons are strange things. We mark them on our calendars as if they are somehow predictable, but somehow they don’t ever seem to get the memo. We can speculate on what “should” take place within each season, what supplies to buy, what plans to make, and when they should begin and end, but the truth is that when they arrive, they always seem to have an agenda of their own.

When I started pondering this it was mid November and we were enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures and a lack of snow or any other meaningful precipitation. Don’t get me wrong. I couldn’t complain about the warmer weather or the fact that I could still see green well into what should have already seen the arrival of a white, fluffy blanket of snow. But sometimes, it feels like life would be so much simpler if I just knew the exact date to pack away the shorts and pull out the winter hats and jackets. It would be so much easier than these “limbo” seasons, where it feels like every article of clothing must be available at some point in the day.

But weather isn’t the only thing that has seasons, is it? Life has seasons too. And wouldn’t it be nice to simply know when a season will be over? In my last post, I shared a little about what the last half of this year has been for me and how Mark chapter 4 became a whispered reminder that we would get to the “other side”. Together. And that this season would come to an end. A reminder that God wasn’t done yet. It’s only for a season.

Over the last few weeks, as we we have geared up for the holidays and begun the celebration of Advent, I realized something. Advent marks a season too. A season of unpredictability and expectation. A season of unknowns and questions. A season wrapped in Hope. A season of waiting.

Maybe you’re in one of these seasons. A limbo season, filled with waiting and unanswered questions. A season that seems to have no end in sight and you feel hope leaking away, wave after wave, tear by tear. When everyone around you seems to be entering into the joy of the Christmas season and yet you are doing all you can do to stay afloat through another turbulent day. It’s times like these that we have to remind ourselves of this: God is still God and He is Emmanuel – our God with us.

Sometimes it’s easy to say God is the Alpha and the Omega. To remember that He is the God of the beginning and the God of the end. The God of our past and our future. But when the storm is at it’s height, and we can’t see daylight, too often we can forget that He is also the I AM – the God of the middle!

Beatrice Giesbrecht

It is in those times that we need to look to the past and remember. Remember the goodness of God. Remember the times that He has showed up for us before. Remember His Faithfulness. Remember the transformation He’s brought forth and the miry pits He’s hauled us from. And when it’s hard to remember for ourselves, we can look to the seasons of others’ who held fast to the God of the impossible and saw Him move mountains.

That’s when we open the Scripture and read about Ruth. An outsider and a widow, displaced in a new land, who went from being an enemy of Israel to becoming the great grandmother of one the nation’s greatest kings. From whose line would come the King of kings!

Read about Joseph. A favoured son, despised by his brothers and sold by his own flesh and blood into slavery. Falsely accused and tossed into prison for a crime that he didn’t commit. But from that forgotten place, he was elevated to the position as the second most powerful man in all of Egypt and became God’s instrument of salvation for millions.

Read about Esther, one of the remnant of a conquered people, snatched from her home and family and forced into a heathen king’s harem. A woman who remained humble and gracious when bitterness could have eaten her up. Who, when faced with overwhelming circumstances, sought the safety of her people and not her own comfort and was used by God to save them from destruction.

Read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, young men who refused to bow before a heathen king’s golden image and were thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. Men who were bound when they were tossed to their deaths, but who met the I AM in the fire and all their bonds were loosed. Who they came out of the flames unscathed and proclaiming the power of God.

Read about Abraham, Moses, King David, Paul and Silas, and the apostles. Read the stories of those who have been through dark seasons, but God was present and He made Himself known. Where people surrendered, hoped, trusted, and hung onto His promises, and God’s Glory was made manifest. This is what we need to remember.

In this season of Advent – no matter what our circumstances may be, how busy the calendar, how dark the night, or how full of joy – let us make time to lean in close and remember another story. To see with new eyes and hear with open ears the Christmas story once again. Let’s ponder the young girl, Mary, who said “Yes” to God, despite how extraordinary the invitation or how dire the consequences she would face, and effectively entered a season of uncertainty, misunderstanding, persecution, and trial.

Remember Joseph, a hopeful groom whose world was turned upside down in a moment. But, at a word from the LORD, he agreed to step alongside Mary into her season and walk with her to it’s completion. Not knowing where the path would lead, but trusting in God to guide their steps.

Remember the shepherds, men who lived on the periphery – removed from “polite” society and accustomed to a lonely existence – who were invited to stand in the presence of the King, to be the among first of their people to lay eyes upon the Messiah – the answer to the prayers of many seasons of waiting.

Let’s focus in on the Light of the World. The One Who pushed back darkness and brought Light and Life to a people shrouded in despair. Who lifted the heads of the downcast, reached for the outcasts, healed the wounded and diseased, and crawled into the dirt with sin-soaked humanity. To proclaim that the wait was over. The Anointed One had come! And in Him, every season of life can be faced with Hope in His Presence.

It’s only for a season. Wherever challenging season you find yourself in right now, whatever you are going through, remember seasons change. Seasons ALWAYS come to an end. How ever long they may drag on, don’t let go of Hope – they’re still only a season.

So, If you’re in the dark and cold of winter, remember – spring is coming! If you’re in the middle of the waves and the storm is fierce, remember the storm will end. The sun will come out again. If you’re in the fire, remember you’re not alone, and the One Who walks with you will keep you until the time you are called out of the flames. And just as so many who have gone before us and struggled through seasons they also thought would never end, may you experience the Presence of Christ and fully recognize the wonder of Emmanuel.

Hang in there, friends. I pray your season will be filled with Hope as you cling to the One Who walks beside you. May you experience the birth of Christ in a personal way this Christmas and may you lift your head and look forward in anticipation to where He is going to take you in the New Year. And just remember. He said we’re going to the other side.