Seasons

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens:

Yesterday was the first “official” day of Spring. I had wanted to publish this post yesterday but got knocked off track by a couple of life challenges.

Spring is my favourite season. Although the Winter here is fairly mild, it comes with high winds and day after day of damp, grey weather – ugh! I am so happy when the Spring sun starts to shine and daylight hours get longer.

Other than the sound of the frequently ROARING wind coming off Lake Huron (which really rattles my metal chimney as well as my nerves!), it is very silent here in the Winter so I love it when the birds feel inspired to start singing their Spring love songs. It makes me feel “all a twitter”.  🙂

We don’t always get a lot of snow, so instead of bright, sparkling white, the predominant Winter colours are various shades of grey and brown – VERY uninspiring. When Spring comes, colour begins returning to the land. The tips of the bushes and trees become frosted with swelling leaf buds in shades of green, yellow, pink, red, and even some fuzz. The dull brown earth is pierced with shafts of green as buried bulbs send forth their first leaves. Male birds strut their stuff all decked out in their finest mating plumage.

As Creation shakes off its dull Winter slumber, Spring is filled with colour, activity and life.

I have a door mat in which I can change the central decorative section to reflect the Seasons, Holidays, or personal whims. To celebrate the arrival of Spring, I literally put out the Welcome mat.

Good bye Winter 

Hello Spring! 

I wish that getting through seasons in life was as easy as a change of date on the calendar or switching decorative mats!

The past two Winters have been challenging ones for me. I live outside of town and I don’t have a car during the day so that I can get out and about. I live in a tiny “community” made up of seasonal cottages, retired elderly people, and a few working folks, so there is not a lot of opportunity for socialization.

I am a “people person” and a “do-er” so I find it very difficult to sit at home by myself day after day and find something worthwhile to do. I am used to participating in a wide variety of community service and church ministry. I often feel like I am not contributing anything to this big, wide world – or even to my small section of it.

I have tried to deal with this issue by thinking about it as just a “season” in my life. I try to accept that in this season I am maintaining and decorating our wee hoosie, looking after the hubby (he needs it! lol), being available to talk on the phone when my son calls with yet another one of his life crisis, emailing my Mom so she doesn’t feel so lonely, encouraging friends through various social media, and writing this blog.

I am looking forward to the upcoming change of season when my hubby retires at the end of this summer. We have already made the first big step in our “Freedom 55” plan with the purchase of a used 5th wheel trailer, which, until we can afford to buy a truck to haul it around with next year, will become a “bunkhouse” for company this year.

Our dream is to travel across this beautiful country of Canada visiting as many National Parks as we can reach. Until then, we will do some redecorating in the trailer and gaze at it wistfully as it sits in our driveway – a beacon of hope for the near future.

Another great thing to look forward to in the upcoming “Freedom 55” season is that I will have access to the car whenever I want! Hallelujah!

I pray that God will bless you in whatever season of life you may be.

Blessings