Summer happens to be one of my favorite seasons. Aside from the smothering heat and mosquitoes, I enjoy the summertime. There are many reasons why I prefer summer over the other seasons and most of these reasons stem from childhood memories. As a child, I enjoyed playing outdoors with family and friends. I enjoyed being able to go for a walk and feeling the sun on my face. I enjoyed going to the beach and spending all my time building sandcastles with my friends. As simple as these reasons may seem, they bring me joy every time I reflect on those memories. Those simple memories have the ability to make me feel calm and help to put things in perspective.
In the book Songs of Solomon, chapter 2, verses 11-12, these scripture references the seasons and the renewed awareness that they bring. The previous verse, v.10, begins with, " Rise up..." This was a call for action because, in order to fully appreciate what is going on around you, you have to rise up or wake up from your slumber. The next verses detail what to take note of. One of those things is, in v.12, "The rain is over and gone, the time for singing has come."
In our lives there are different seasons, there are times that bring sunshine, like summer, and then there are times that bring dark clouds, rain, and a depressed state. I encourage each one of you to know that, that season is not going to always be the state of your life. It is for only a time, it too shall pass because it is just a season.
When that season is over, acknowledge that it is over by rising up, taking note of what was and what is to come. I want to go a step further and encourage you to speak God's words of hope even in the midst of a bad season. Sometimes you have to go through it to get to the place God wants you to be.
"To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..." - Ecc 3:1
God bless you!
