These beautiful mums have traveled around with me since the early 1990’s when my grandfather died. They came in a season of grief from his funeral, yet, since then they have blessed me every fall season with vibrant blooms and good memories. These blessings serve to remind of a man in my life who took time to play with me, ride me around in his tractor trailer truck, let me ride on his tractor while tilling the soil for next seasons crops, and taught me to fish on family camping trips. To this day, I am always expectantly waiting for those blooms in the fall that remind me of the goodness of my grandfather and the continued blessings in hard seasons of life from my Heavenly Father.
Just like these blooms that bud in bright red then mature into glorious purple, our seasons of life are a beautiful contrast, too. If we stay focused on the season of grief, hardships, and unfairness we miss the tiny blessings sprinkled throughout each day. If we stay focused on looking to the Father in Heaven we appreciate the little things sent our way to encourage perseverance.
What season is life giving you right now? If it is good, lift up someone else. If it is hard, watch for your tiny blessings knowing this season will pass and things will change.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; … Ecclesiasties 3:1-8