Changing of the Seasons

This week in Northeast Arkansas we finally started seeing signs of fall.  A few cooler days and nights, with the beginnings of the color change of the trees.  It is the cycle of life.

Seasons come and go in our environment, marking the time. It is by these cycles that our minds and bodies process various stimuli and set many of our plans in motion.  Each season requires, if not demands, a different response and sense of duty.

The seasons of our life mirror this as well.  Solomon spoke with poetic elegance about this throughout the book of Ecclesiastes particularly in the well known verses of Chapter 3.  Youth with its exuberance is a prelude to the beginning years of adulthood which are filled with great energy for most, as they chart the course of their families and careers.  Then there are the busy days of raising that family and furthering our careers. Followed by what most hope will be the peaceful easy days of retirement.  This is then followed by the final chapter when we all wind down toward the final destination, often battling significant illness and profound weakness.

In the beginning we often can't do much for ourselves, and in then end this tends to ring true again.  This means we all need to take care of the stages that intervene to maximize our joys and experiences while we can.  I am not calling for us all to become hedonists, seeking only self pleasure, rather I am advocating that we seek happiness within our joy.  Here is my list of best practices for finding this rhythm in our lives:

TC's Top 4 Tips for Living a Full Life

1. Know God and serve Him.  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
2. Love and be loved. Romans 12:10
3. Work. Exodus 20:9, Ecclesiastes 5:12
4. Have a mindset of abundance Philippians 4:12

While I am no expert, I have been a careful observer over the years and believe that we often take on the world in one of two ways.  Either we go out and live life to the extreme of frugality neither seeking nor finding joy while waiting for our "golden years" when we intend to enjoy the fruits of our labors, or we live in the "squandering quandary" where we live only for today and have absolutely no concern for tomorrow.  Each of these extremes will tend to rob at least a portion of our joy.  Having spent the last 11 years of my life working with the frail elderly, growing in my church and community service, and seeing the aging process in my own parents and extended family, I have moved across the spectrum from a mindset of scarcity and wanting to save everything possible for retirement toward the middle of the road.  I no longer want to dwell so much upon the future that I cannot enjoy the present, within the bounds of good faith.

What ideas do you have for living your life?  I would value your thoughts on this as I continue to refine my own.  God set us up to live in community with one another so that we could learn from one another, and be there to give aid and comfort.  I hope that you will consider where you are today, where you want to be tomorrow, and how to find the greatest joy in your life (hint: it starts with Christ).  Go out and Make Today GREAT!