Summer is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it … the colorful flowers, the sudden thunderstorms, the smell of fresh cut grass, the endless sunshine and many cookouts. The September days remind me that summer’s days are soon to be memories and fall is coming. I enjoy the cool, crisp fall days … colorful views, the crunch of leaves, the smell of bonfires and pumpkins. What I don’t love is the dread of what comes after fall. Winter is my least favorite season … perhaps it’s spending the first 40 years of my life in North Dakota. I dislike the cold, the snow that oftentimes forces plans to change, the lack of sunshine — and from the moment winter starts, I find myself counting the days until spring.
I wonder how often I look at life that way. When times are good … my heart feels like summer … sunshiney, joyful, exciting. When times are difficult, my heart feels cold, gray, dull. And oftentimes I find myself dreading (fall) or anticipating (spring) what’s to come rather than enjoying where I am and what I’m doing. Instead of accepting times of “grayness” as “bad” things, how about if I see them as opportunities for growth? Instead of dreading an upcoming task or issue, I can turn those things over to God, who sees my whole life and knows where I’m being led. Instead of anticipating good things, I can stop and enjoy exactly where I am and exactly what I’m doing. Instead of dreading and despising and anticipating with anxiety, I can trust God to bring me those “summer” moments all year long. I bet if I did that, I’d appreciate all the seasons of life a whole lot more!
— Story by Teri Iverson; Jen Morin-Williamson photo