“To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a
time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance…”-- Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (KJV)
******************************
Thank you very much for taking the
time to support my writing!
******************************
Last week’s article
explored gratitude. This noble emotion acknowledges help we couldn’t have given
ourselves. It lets us know we aren’t alone.
This writing
will go into an important way to find gratitude. That method is accepting the
seasons of life—both sorrowful and joyful.
Life is full
of stages. It’s in a constant state of change; that’s normal. These alterations
may be small or large. The trick is to
see the big picture, to see before and
beyond our current problems. Here are three examples:
- Many new mothers are young; however others have tried for years to have a child. These fine ladies probably feel grateful. The previous sorrow is overshadowed by the joy of motherhood.
- Our young kids keep us busy running after them. When they become teenagers, they’re more likely to hide away in their rooms.
- Some students don’t enjoy school. They drop out. High-school graduates may appreciate the better jobs they can get after 12-13 years of hard work. College degrees open more doors.
There’s a
saying: “If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” That tells us that
hard work will be required for success; it doesn’t just happen:
1. Construction often requires
destruction.
Remodeling is
a messy, noisy job. Old woodwork and equipment may have to be taken out. Whatever’s
being replaced must be torn down before the new gadgets and gizmos are
installed.
2. We must get rid of the old to make
room for the new.
A person may
need to change his attitude, or his lifestyle, in order to move forward. Matthew
9:17 (KJV) states:
“Neither do men put new
wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and
the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.”
3. The planting comes before the
harvesting.
The image
above shows sunflower seeds and a fully grown sunflower plant. What it doesn’t
show is all the work during the 80 to 120 days it takes for the flower to mature.
Each stage
of growth is necessary. It’s a
progression that can’t be interrupted. Here are some cases of
other areas of life that involve a process:
Math
Arithmetic
|
Trigonometry
|
Geometry
|
Calculus
|
Algebra
|
Statistics
|
Writing
Research
|
Edit
|
Brainstorm
|
Complete final draft (Maybe?)
|
Write rough draft
|
Keep editing… (probably)
|
Education
Preschool
|
High School
|
Elementary School
|
College
|
Middle School/Junior High
|
Post-graduate work
|
Music
Rhythm
|
Simple Songs
|
Notes
|
Hymns
|
Chords and Scales
|
Symphonies
|
My Conclusion
“God always prepare us for the great mission
but we are unaware. All the stages are connected; we must graciously be fully
present in each stage.”—Lailah Gifty Akita Pearls
of Wisdom: Great Mind (copied as written on Goodreads)
“Every stage of life is unique. At
any age and stage of life there are obstacles and opportunities, trials and
triumphs. Never allow the negative bring to you to sudden halt. Make the most
of the positive opportunities and stay positive.”—Lailah Gifty Akita (copied as
written on Goodreads)
Related Posts
Do you accept life’s stages?
No comments:
Post a Comment