Today marks the seventh day and end of one season and the beginning of a new one. As I think of the seasons, the image of vines comes to mind. It could be the beginning of a new season, the height with fruit testing the limits, or harvest. Whatever scene one focuses on, there is a clear reality found in the full cycle of birth, growth, and eventually the harvest and death. As I think about the range of emotions that have consumed me during this change, I find comfort in reflecting on the spring that follows a dark winter’s night.
In the fullness of life, we discover ourselves and those we love. I have been fortunate. I was gifted with parents and unconditional love. I was exposed to the wonder and joy of living life on maximum, much of the time without any safety lines. I was gifted with relationships and time. The recent darkness is offset by six-plus decades of laughter, joy, and never quite knowing what would come next. The foundation has been laid. A new spring begins with promise and hope.
Yesterday’s lessons can help us today while pushing towards a better tomorrow. There are endless failures and dark moments that could overwhelm. They do not need to dictate what happens today. Remember the old observation; “For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots as the old law code hemmed us in. And this made us all the more rebellious. In the end, all we had to show for it was miscarriages and stillbirths.” (Romans 7.5) This was the past. I have the freedom today to write a new chapter.
Each day is a place where growth and hope can live through my life. In freedom, I can understand and grow from the darkness into a new season. I know I am empowered, energised, and willing to be bold. Now is the time to make this real, for myself and those around me.
