Been sitting in the porch swing most of the day. Guess I’m a certified porch potato now. The sky has been cornflower blue all day, cloudless and clear, the sun hot on my cheeks when her rays reach the porch mid-day. A cool breeze has pinged the wind chimes, adding bell solos to the songbird symphonies. My yard has been full of cardinals and doves, chickadees and titmice, downy woodpeckers, grey catbirds and brown-headed cowbirds. I can hear the small hawk calling for his mate in the old water oaks. The yellow pansies in their urns on the porch bannisters are so beautiful in the late afternoon. When the sun’s rays kiss their petals they are almost fluorescent, petals open wide, the blooms stand up in prayerful repose to the sun.

There were no clouds gathered to watch the pageant of sunset tonight. No clouds to soak up the magnificent watercolors of Mother Nature’s paint brushes. Mother Nature brushed up a pale wildfire of peach flames that spread across the horizon, quickly fading with the day’s darkening. As Paulo Coelho said, “Don’t forget; beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies.” We have to experience storms in our lives, too, to appreciate the warmth of God’s love. Mehmet Murat Ildan said, “Sunset is the opening music of the night.” Looking forward to warm enough nights to sleep with the windows open so I can hear the night music of the spring critters.

Been pondering on how much I enjoy the four seasons we are fortunate to experience in Alabama. I love how the earth looks as it transforms from fall to winter, winter to spring, spring to summer, summer to fall. Genesis 8:22 states, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Been thinking which is my favorite season to experience but can’t choose between the beautiful awakening of spring’s greening or the fall’s colorful coats of leaves. I feel I just tolerate winter because of the occasional forecast of snowflakes. Scripture in Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a “time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.”

Reading Ecclesiastes we draw parallels between the seasons on earth and the seasons of our lives. Our lives go through periods of change and renewal. We experience seasons in life that both challenge and strengthen our faith. I think we experience winter when we have great sadness. We experience storms of darkness through heartache and loneliness. We seek God’s guidance in the wintertime. God’s grace helps us find our way in the dark days, pulling and pushing us back into his Holy Light. When the storm clouds in our lives abate we begin to experience a spring season of hope and new beginnings.

Spring gives us hope and opportunities to strengthen our faith. We made it through the dark days of winter and we’re planting seeds of a Christian life in our daily words and actions. As we deepen our faith, summer comes and our abundance of faith gives us beauteous days to bask in the love of God. Our prayers of thanksgiving magnify our blessings and bring us closer to the Lord.

As a fall season comes into our life we have time to slow down, to read scripture, to pray faithfully. We’ve found our mature faith, strong and merciful. We’re in a period of life where we reflect on the goodness of God knowing God is steadfast and unwavering in his support. We’re secure in our faith and we know we’ll never walk alone. We’re faithful to God, knowing we can now weather the winter storms of life.

Our seasons of life are constantly changing and evolving. With God’s love and grace we can make every season fruitful through our faith.

“Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a joy for all seasons, a possession for all eternity.” — Oscar Wilde