A HOPEFUL HEART â—½ YOU
A Time for Everything
By Christina Oberon
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them; a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to search and a time to give up; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear and a time to mend; a time to be silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3 has held a special place in my heart for years, resonating with my appreciation for the ebb and flow of life. The predictable sequence of the seasons mirrors the unchanging ways of the Creator, underscoring the unwavering nature of His character. This scripture reminds us of the rhythms of life, some that we can control and others that we can't, like birth and death. We ultimately have to go with the rhythm of God's work and plans in our lives.
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​But what happens when we find ourselves out of rhythm in a season?
This is something that has strongly been on my mind over the last year. Contemplating the past year, I've grappled with the lack of harmony and being out of sync with the season I find myself in.
Questions linger:
Am I resistant to the present moment or to changing what I know needs to be changed?
Am I not where I should be?
Do I persist or depart?
Within my job, my relationships, and the broader context of my life, these uncertainties echo. Yet, amid this thinking, I'm gradually embracing the acceptance of my current moment of acknowledging the power and significance of being right here, right now. That does not mean accepting circumstances, but rather navigating and recognizing needed change in the current ones.
My mind goes back to Ecclesiastes 3 and I feel especially drawn to, “a time to plant and a time to uproot” in the context of this current moment in my life. The truth is, certain things I have built and grown over the years, including belief systems, may no longer serve me. I see it as a reminder to be mindful of the seasons in our lives. There are moments for growth, nurturing, and planting seeds of hope or opportunity, as well as times for reflection, change, and letting go of what no longer serves us. It emphasizes the balance between stability and transformation, urging us to recognize and embrace the appropriate moment for each action. What may have been perfectly aligned years ago may have run its course today. I find myself in this space and struggling to let go of what I feel needs to be uprooted, regardless of how much I have invested in it - and a little anxious about planting new. What I do know is that I wouldn’t be experiencing this pull in my spirit if it was not part of the alignment and harmony I seek and action I know is necessary to be taken.
So, I go back to the peace found in trusting
that there is a time for everything
and sometimes that time is now.