What lies under all those leaves? Grass. Grass that's gone dormant now for the next few months; grass that won't need much water or fertilizer as it's not the season for it to really grow. The leaves gracefully cover the unchanging grass. It looks pretty right now, but if a storm comes, the leaves will soak into the grass and you'll have a heaping pile of mud & leaves and mush, and the grass will be worse for the wear once it's cleaned up.
What's all this grass talk? Perhaps I need more coffee.
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3, "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." If everything on earth has to operate according to the seasons and times, than you have to know that it's the same with you & with me. Each of us walk through different seasons throughout our lives and if we're not careful, we can miss the blessing of God on the season. Like the grass that I'm staring at this morning, covered in beauty, we can simply remain dormant.
Dormant defined is: "not doing anything at this time; not active but able to become active." Wow.
It's easy to remain dormant, isn't it? To lie dormant is to never seek to better our current lives, never taking any risks, never increasing our knowledge, never stepping out in faith and never reaching our full potential for the season we are in. Sure, God tells us to "be still and know that I am God." Sometimes God indeed will tell us to remain still, DON'T DO ANYTHING. And when God says that, heed it! It's for a reason. But other times, God just wants a stillness in our souls, not necessarily in our physical actions. Remember the definition, "not active, but able to become active."
We are always able to become active, but do we? There is always something we can do that will not only enhance the quality of our lives, but will enhance the lives of those around you as well.
The scripture says, there is a season for everything. I can grasp that, for sure. Seasons change in our lives, got it. But if you go on it reads, "and a time to every purpose under Heaven." And a time to every purpose under Heaven. Hmm. A time to every purpose. The Bible says in Proverbs that the "steps of the righteous are ordered of the Lord." I love that verse. It goes well with Ecclesiastes 3. God has a purpose for me, under Heaven. He has something that only I can do, a gift that only I can share. He created me special and unique and for a purpose. So if the Bible says there is a time for every purpose, then I better stay close to Jesus, or I might miss the timing. I can easily be like the grass outside my door, that is not changing and has no hope of change for the next few months. Further more, should a storm come, the beauty that lies above the dormancy can actually make for worse conditions. The beauty of the season.
What's the beauty of the season you are in today? No matter your season, there is beauty in it. Somewhere. You may not see it right now, but Romans 8:28 assures us that it has to beautiful, some day. You'll see it.
It's a beautiful season. Don't rush it. Don't get ahead of the Lord, even if you know the "purpose" He has for you. There is a time for that purpose, and He will make each step known, as you stay close to Him. And as you wait for the next step, don't lie dormant. There's always something to do for the Lord. There is always someone that needs your kindness. There is always someone that needs your true and genuine attention. And there is always something that we can do to enhance our current selves. My desire is always to be the best version of myself. Am I always? Um, no. But I'm trying. Daily. Hourly. Sometimes by the minute. I don't want to hang out with the dormant grass. I'd rather stay on top with the beauty of the season.
