A Season for Everything

I read through the book of Lamentations last week. I know you're thinking, "That's really uplifting." It might come as a bit of a surprise to you that I did find it encouraging. In case it has been a while since you've been to this Old Testament treasure, let me give you some background. The book of Lamentations was likely written by Jeremiah and is a companion to the book of Jeremiah. It is written in Hebrew poetic style with the first letter of each verse in chapters 1,2,and four corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In chapter 3, each letter is given three verses. Where the book of Jeremiah looks to the future, the book of Lamentations looks to the past. Jeremiah is among the exiles and he weeps for what was and he begins to pray and seek God's mercy.

There are a couple of verses in the middle of a challenging text that convey a message of hope. Lamentations 3:22-23 say, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Jeremiah writes these words as he mourns, broken-hearted, over the condition of God's people. They provide a glimmer of hope in a dark time. As I read them, I could not help but be reminded of the phrase that has come to mean a lot to me, "This too, shall pass."

I believe that one of the themes of this little book is that there are times of struggle and difficulty. Sin has consequences and God is just. However, in the middle of tough times, there is hope. If we will repent and seek to do what God wants us to do, he will forgive and renew.

There are seasons in life. I have been walking a mile or so nearly every day for about a month. Usually I am walking with a friend who lives near me. Sometimes I walk alone. When alone, I try to make some observations and think some "deep thougths" while walking. I confess, sometimes the "deep thought" is to check 8th Street before crossing, but I am still thinking. As I was walking on an unusually warm Sunday evening last weekend, I noticed several things. I saw a young family playing in their front yard. Mom, dad and two small children were having a good time in the leaves. I saw an older man and his wife get into their car and drive off for an unknown to me destination. I saw a house that had multiple cars in the driveway; a sure sign of teenagers. I noticed some other things, too. I looked up and saw a baby bird fly away from a nest and not look back. I saw squirrels gathering acorns and running frantically to store them away. As I thought about all of these things, I thought about the seasons of our lives.

I am in a different season now than I was only a year ago. The relationships that I took for granted then are different now. Sometimes I long for things to be as they were. There are some things that I miss terribly. There are some things that I don't miss at all. The truth is, though, that seasons change. The older couple was once the family with teenagers which was once the family of small children. There is no going back. God uses the birds to remind us of that.

That can be a hard lesson. The mistakes that you and I have made are done. I can't go back and do it again. We must deal with the consequences of what is. That is what Lamentations tells us. There is more, though. Through the tough times, God is faithful. He is there. He offers forgiveness and restoration. He offers love and the chance to begin again. I have begun to see that there is joy in the moment in which we find ourselves. The young couple laughed and played without thinking of the day when their children would leave. Parents of teens can rejoice in the maturing and growing of their kids into adults. They don't have to be "bogged down" by the problems. Seasoned saints can still have joy in loving and caring for those around them. Joy in the moment. I like the sound of that.

There are some things that I wish weren't as they are. I'm sure you have things like that, too. There are times when I am dealing with the consequences of my own decisions. You probably understand that, as well. I hope that we can see these times as seasons. Allow God to show us what we need to see and bring about another day. Even in Lamentations, there is a glimpse of joy. I found it. I hope you do, too. Don't look back. Look up. I did.