There are times when our lives feel off kilter, out of alignment, and going around in endless circles. Times of cycling through repeated motions with little purpose or meaning. Times when we seem caught in a gravitational pull from which there is no escape. Our life seems like it is in a lopsided orbit to nowhere.

Well, my friend, welcome to what the scientific community describes as seasons. All those descriptions and the earmarks of those on our life, are telling us that we are experiencing the seasons of life. Those describe the very why there are seasons on Earth and thereby in our personal life.

Seasons are caused because Earth is lopsided as it spins on it’s axis once each day. And because Earth is titled, and the axis is not straight, that exposes the light of the sun to different parts of the Earth at different times, thereby causing seasons on Earth.

Sometimes parts of the globe are close to the sun at 91,000,000 miles and other times are far away at 94.5000.000 miles. But because Earth’s tilt on her axis is 23.5 degrees as she orbits and revolves, we have our seasons.

Her lopsided orbit causes seasons.

As James Taylor and Carol King sang, we have “Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall”.

What is true of Earth, is true for you and me. Because of our lopsided orbit, our “imperfect alignment”, we experience seasons of life.

You know what I mean, times when we just can’t seem to find our purpose, joy or direction. (winter) Other times when we are so busy that we can’t keep up and become overwhelmed. (fall) Or those long and dreary dry times when all we do seems like sweat and work, (summer) And then there are days of joy, and newbirth like spring.

In my early childhood days, seeing and recognizing the seasons on the farms in Iowa was easy. But in our daily lives it is not so easy to recognize the season that we are in. And what makes it even worse, is the fact that we are constantly comparing ourselves to and with others. We look at someone else and say, “They’ve got it together, look at how productive they are and how their life is filled with purpose.” When in fact, what we need to understand is they are probably in a different season than we are. (Not to mention they are entirely different people than we are with different life experiences, maturity levels, weaknesses and strengths AND in whose private life we have no idea what they are dealing with.)

We are surrounded by people that we love, admire and respect who are in differnt seasons that we are. It is always unwise to compare.

But more importantly, recognizing the season that you are in is vital.

SPRING – seeds take root, vegetation grows, it’s warmer, wetter, animals wake, new babies & melting snow

SUMMER – temperatures increase, heat waves and droughts, less water, more fires

FALL – Temperatures cool, plants go dormant, preparation for winter

WINTER – chill, cold, often a change in appearance to adapt

These are what we see in our natural world during the seasons. In what ways can you apply these characteristics to your life and the season that you are currently in?

Try these seasonal interpersonal characteristic applications.

SPRING – joy after dormancy. Pruning, shaping

SUMMER – dryness, need spiritual food

FALL – harvest, bear fruit, reaping

WINTER – introspection, examination, change

” For everything there is a season…”

Ecclestiates 3:1 ESV

I charge you, please realize that the times when your life feels off kilter, out of alignment, and going around in endless circles, the times of cycling through repeated motions with little purpose or meaning, and the times when you seem caught in a gravitational pull from which there is no escape; in those times of lopsided orbit to nowhere- YOU ARE IN A SEASON that will end.

What season is it? Identify it, learn from it, grow in it. What season is next? Prepare for it. And don’t compare!

Tilt, rotation and revolution cause seasons. Remember, it is your lopsided orbit that causes your seasons.

Cheers to you,

Debbie