Seasons

Here is a confession from me: I loathe change.  I am most comfortable with familiarity, a regular routine, sameness.  I like to know where my favorites are on the bookshelf, I enjoy knowing the kids finish their day at school at the same time each day.  It’s comforting to know that my coffee will be waiting on me @ 7:15 each morning and that my processed photo files will be exactly where I put them the evening before.   Yes, a steady routine equals comfort and confidence.

It is precisely because of this character trait that I found myself utterly overwhelmed several weeks ago when my computer crashed.  Those close to me are probably weary of hearing me talk about it.  Even so, I am led to share with you what I’ve gained from this little ‘bump in the road’ as my friend Liz would say.

At this point, which is hindsight now, I am chagrinned to admit that I handle troubles so poorly;  especially something as benign as a pc crash.  I didn’t even lose any data for goodness sake.  What I did lose was my routine, my workflow.  At times I gritted my teeth, such as when I spoke endlessly with computer technicians via the phone, other times I would cry in frustration at not being able to complete my tasks.  And then sometimes, I just couldn’t figure out how 

to be productive in that void.

But Christ said to rejoice for our trials for they produce  perseverance, character, hope.  (Romans 5:3-5)  He wants us to rejoice?!      Yes,  Christ wants us to have gratitude for those opportunities that teach us our true selves.  This, in order to grow in Him.

This lesson was driven home to me recently as I was editing images from our recent trip to Williamsburg, VA.  I love trees and enjoy 

making & collecting photos of them.  Weeping Willows typically grow near the water and are one of the earliest to bear leaves in spring and among the last to shed them in autumn.  Maybe they are reluctant to change too.

Even so, here in Appalachia, we witness the changing of the seasons very distinctly; the trees are now shedding their leaves and are ‘going to sleep for winter’ as I tell my kids.  These changes come each year and some seasons are challenging, such as the drought we experienced this summer.  Roots must sink deep to find water, flowers and fruit are sacrificed so that leaves may grow; they find a way to survive and in so doing, become stronger for it.

May God continue His work in me, that I may become stronger and more resilient through the trials that life brings, recognizing that the only real routine in life is a rhythm of continual growth and change.