Hello again, here it is the last few days of June, and summer is upon us. The past month has passed quickly with Spring cleaning, yard work, and a trip to Texas. Every day reveals topics to write about. Now, the determination to focus on one main topic by hearing from the Lord, and the discipline to write.

So, I will begin with one of my thoughts during my Spring cleaning, namely my closet. This picture is not of my closet, but you get the idea.

As I work through the change of seasons, I sort my heavy winter clothes into two categories, one to donate and one to store or move to the back of my closet. My task is a reminder of our love for the seasons of the area we live in. We have four seasons of weather, and both David and I have always enjoyed all four. That is, until recent years, winter has had a bigger impact on our aging bodies. Then we begin imagining a winter escape. 😊

My thoughts on our weather seasons quickly shifted to our seasons of life, aging bodies, purpose in life, and, as usual, a poem. The specific poem is in my first book, “Inspire Me.” The title is God in Our Seasons. This poem is the second one I was inspired to write. I would like to share with you how this came about.

As the Lord had fulfilled my desire for a poem for my youngest sister’s birthday through Expressions of His Endearing Love, I thought poetry for me was “one and done.” But God had other plans.

As I was preparing for our ladies’ upcoming Bible study, I was remembering the theme of a song I had heard approximately 35 years earlier. I had heard it one time, didn’t know the title, or the artist. But I knew the theme was exactly what I needed to encourage our ladies to spend more time studying God’s Word in all seasons of life. The song was laced with our excuses for not spending time with the Lord.

So, I started my relentless quest to find this special song to play in our church for the announcement of our study. I searched Google with every keyword I could think of. I searched music libraries, spoke with numerous members of worship teams, and with different ones from that era. Each search was fruitless. The theme was as far as I got. Sounds familiar if you have read how I began writing poetry, right?

I gave up my search for the song and decided I would do my best to convey the message by telling the congregation about it. Again, the Lord was patiently waiting for me to give up on my plan because He had a better one. One morning, as I sat quietly before Him, He gave me the words to write in “God in Our Seasons”. The poem can sound as if I did not spend any time with the Lord. That is obviously not the case. But it does bring the intended message to put away the excuses and stop waiting for the “ideal” circumstances for a deeper relationship with the Lord. It also tells of God’s faithfulness:

Your love through the years, You have faithfully showered

In Your Word for each day, You strengthened and empowered,

When I reached out to You, in my most difficult hour.

    And it goes on to tell some of the benefits of more time with Him:

You wanted to guide me, comfort me, and carry my load

In this life’s daily journey, the long narrow road.

You were there to teach me, love me, and to be my all

My time with You would have made my struggles so small.

    It ends with forgiveness freely given and my purpose going forward.

Forgive me, dear Lord, for not making more time with You in my seasons

I was so busy with life’s excuses and so many lame reasons.

Now with the forgiveness You have freely given me

I will take time to share my seasons, to help others see,

 And encourage them to take time with Thee.

For our time with our Maker makes our burdens light

If we choose the Giver of Time, in all our seasons of life!

Proverbs 16:9 is the first scripture I referenced and it speaks volumes to the path I was taking with the song I searched for.  It reads in NKJV “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps”.

His plan and ways were better than I asked for. It was evident when I read the poem to our congregation. There were big tears as it touched many hearts, and we had a good turnout for our study. I pray that these words will serve as a reminder to stay on track with Him and His Word.

Now, as I examined my clothing items for the coming season, I needed to let go of some and move others back from the past season. Like the winter clothing as I prepare for summer, each season of my life, it is revealed that what the Lord had me do in the previous season is not necessarily what He would have me do in this one or even the next. We change with the seasons, and when we allow the Lord to direct our steps, carry our burdens, strengthen, teach, provide, protect, and comfort us, He will be our ALL. We will transition and transform with ease and grace. It is very difficult to move to what the Lord has for us in our next season while holding on to the last.

I mentioned a recent trip to Texas. A couple of the events in this trip were perfect examples of these seasons revealed in my closet.

Our first stop was to celebrate our friends’ 55^th wedding anniversary and the completion of their house they had been working on for many years. These particular friends are near and dear to our hearts. He (George) was our Best Man in our wedding, and he and Linda (his wife) named David and me as Godparents to their three children.

The party was one to remember fondly. They, and their children, spoke of the many challenges they faced and always gave the Lord praise for the blessings in moving through the numerous seasons of life they have shared. Their adult children worked tirelessly to put together a fun-filled, food-filled, and yes, even tear-filled event (good tears, of course). They realize the season of life their parents are in and stepped up to make it all happen beautifully.

The long-awaited completion of George and Linda’s house has certainly paid off. It was so good to see them enjoying the fruit of their labor, God’s provision, and their patience. We were able to present them with a surprise gift for both events. We had the words to my poem, Our Home, and their name and year, laser-engraved onto a wooden plaque. Their response was priceless.

Our next stop was to visit my eldest brother Tommy, and my two sisters and their spouses. Tommy is suffering a significant decrease in his heart function. He is facing one of life’s most challenging seasons of life. As we gathered and visited with him, this season of his life came up frequently. In one visit, my youngest sister had us read Ecclesiastes chapter 3. I had just referred to that chapter in an earlier conversation with Tommy. The Lord was consistent with His guidance in what we were to focus on. We are certain that the Lord will lead our brother in this season and on into the next. We would all do good to read this chapter frequently.

And my sister Denise and her husband Mike are there for our brother Tommy to assist in any area of need, while making us feel right at home, and continuing to serve in their church. It is a sacrificial love that requires hard work and dedication to be a caregiver, and they have certainly stepped up to the plate.

Then we moved on to my youngest sister Karen and her husband Mike’s next season. Mike will be retiring from his job this fall. They prepared by downsizing their home, much like David and I did. They let go of many things from their previous home to move with God into the next. Their ministry work is expanding, and they are continuing their bike and bar ministry. I believe their motto is, “ We have a motorcycle habit with a bar ministry”. Pretty incredible testimonies come out of those bars consistently.

We gave them a customized plaque for their new home as well. Her response was… “You always make me cry!” Lol! Maybe I should give her one of my vintage handkerchiefs. 😊

So, as you can see, the topic of this blog began with a simple Spring cleaning and what my closet revealed. It continued to have more meaning as the month unfolded. I thank God that He sometimes uses the simple and mundane to reveal something of great importance to us, such as seasons of life.

In my effort to stay focused on “one main topic,” I will continue in my next blog with what else was revealed during my Spring cleaning. You might be thinking, “Her house must be immaculate!” That would be leaving you with the wrong impression. I haven’t made it much farther than my closet. 😊But I assure you that I am trying! Lol!

Our time with Him, He desires so dearly. And thank you again for spending time with me,

Reba