Treasures Along the Way

As the brutal summer goes on and on, a memory came from last winter, saying, “it won’t be long before it’s scorching hot again”. The reality of the swiftness of the passing from one season to another posed a deeper thought into my mind.

Not only are the seasons flying by, but our time on this earth is seemingly going faster and faster. There is a clear memory of my grandmother turning 60, and my young perspective voicing to myself, “that is really old! I’ll never be 60!”. It is shocking how fast that became untrue! False! She probably thought the same thing when she was young.

Are we just clicking the hours away? There we go around the sun again! The hope is that we are learning something new and profound at times–that we are experiencing deeper love, appreciating beauty more, abandoning our selfishness, cultivating compassion, forgiveness and grace as we also let go of fear and embrace faith, hope and true charity.

That young girl who looked at her wonderful grandmother didn’t have a clue about life with its twists and turns, its tragedies and joys. Nor did she imagine the gut-wrenching lessons that ripped out the heart and molded her into something better, someone with wisdom and depth.

As each “season” comes in our lives, there are new challenges and exciting, even strange avenues to navigate. Each change brings some new territory in our hearts that usually brings discomfort and at times searing pain. Once in a great while, the change explodes with joy and unparalleled satisfaction and contentment. That’s the journey of life-“opposition in all things”. I’ve come to see that seasons of the earth and of our lives are not accidents or by chance. God creates this beautiful earth and gives us the opportunity to see the connection to our very lives. Our lives have the deep dark winters, the vibrant, colorful springs and the scorching, unbearable summers.

If we embrace the variety and contrast, we can swim in the cool waters, play in the autumn leaves and maybe even gaze at the beauty of the sun on the diamond-like glistening snow.

One day it will all be over and we will travel on beams of light past the sun, flying faster than we can even imagine. Our lives will be like a dream and we will marvel at how the years were actually lasting only a second. We will be beings of light and be shocked that we really always were and we didn’t see it. We will be even more shocked at how very familiar our Heavenly Father’s face is and He will welcome us home and we will be filled with His love and finally understand that the journey was all good.

Becky Hull

Aug. 14, 2023