So I have been lamenting for about two years now. My social circle is very small and believe me, they have to hear me lament almost on the daily. So the other day, there I was doing my usual lament, and my friend tells me that I was going through a "season of sorrow." I was clueless, because I didn't know nor understand that my situation could be a "season," or a "season of sorrow."
Now I do understand about the four seasons, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring, but an emotional season is quite baffling to me. The Bible tells us that there are seasons of life. Life is made of many different seasons. Not just seasons of the year, but different seasons of life, for our different life challenges and for our different emotions.
So of course, I thought about the Book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes shows the paths in life that leads to emptiness and helps us discover the true purpose in life. Its purpose is to spare us the bitterness of learning through our own mistakes and experiences. King Solomon wanted us to know that life is meaningless without God. He wanted to teach us that the meaning of life is not found in knowledge, money, pleasure, work, or popularity. True satisfaction in life comes from having a relationship with God and to understand that it's essential in being in the will of God.
God wants us to understand that there is a time for everything and God's timing is always perfectly timed.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says, "There is a right time for everything:
A time to be born; a time to die.
A time to plant; a time to harvest.
A time to kill; a time to heal.
A time to destroy; a time to rebuild.
A time to cry; a time to laugh.
A time to grieve; a time to laugh.
A time for scattering stones; a time for gathering stones.
A time to hug; a time not to hug.
A time for keeping; a time for throwing away.
A time to tear; a time to repair.
A time to be quiet; a time to speak up.
A time for loving; a time for hating.
A time for war; a time for peace."
But how does this help me to understand and explain my "season of sorrow?" For me to understand this I must go back to the basics. Sorrow is defined as a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others. Sorrow is an emotion, feeling, or sentiment. Sorrow is more intense than sadness, it implies a long-term state. In terms of attitude, sorrow can be said to be half way between sadness (accepting) and distress (not accepting).
Now I must confess, I have been in a state of sorrow. I have lost the love of my life (my husband); being in isolation because of COVID-19; betrayal of family and friends; being taunted and tormented for the love of money; and, the lost of my dog, Snowy.
These emotions of sorrow had flooded my heart like the onslaught of a physical assault caused by sadness, dejection, despondency, desolation, and gloom. With feelings of being miserable, having a heavy heart, being sad, with the shedding of so many tears.
For those who cause my sorrow through deception and betrayal, it's okay. God simply plucked them out of my life, because they were not allowed to go to the next level with me. Some people are meant to me left behind.
The wrong people can destroy you, while the right people can accelerate you. When God starts blessing you, some people will not celebrate your victories and blessings and I don't need them in my life.
My destiny is my destiny and it is not tired to anyone, but God. Some people come into your life just for a season and for a reason. Some people will only hold you back, they can't share your vision, because they will only destroy your dreams.
Finally, I had to admit that I really was in a "season of sorrow." I am in a time when my challenges had arrived and my struggles just starts reoccurring. I am in distress and I am in an unfamiliar territory and in an unfamiliar season. I have had moments of pain, confusion, and sadness. With times of loss and grief. These moments have left me crushed and breathless.
I have been reminded that from sorrows comes great joy. But my life at this moment, reminds me of being in the wilderness and from my perspective, I am in the middle of a barren land.
I fully understand that this season is just what it is, a season. This too shall pass! As I wait on God, I must remain steadfast in faith. Trusting and believing that I serve a powerful and righteous God. As I continue to keep my eyes on Jesus, through prayer and meditation, God is blessing me through my seeds of faith. The more I call upon Him, and believe His promises to me, the more He plants His seeds of blessings. When this season is over, this barren land, will become an oasis. This "season of sorrow" will become a "season of joy."
The season that I am in now, the Lord created it for a reason. God shapes our lives through adversity. In this "season of sorrow," I can truly see that God is reshaping me and is creating me into who He intends for me to be.
Now I understand that God is using this season to show me that ALL things are working for my good. I don't have to understand all the things that are happening to me, I just need to trust God.
God is educating me and He wants me to learn more about Him and about myself, because I have experience this season, I can help others when they are going through their season.
My attitude in this suffering should glorify God. Jesus suffered and He sees our sorrow and suffering. The Bible tells us to be patient in suffering. This is the hardest thing of all to do, to be patient.
I know for a fact, that my God has never forsaken me, because He has always been there for me, all of my life and in every "season" of my life. God must have an incredible future for me because He has allowed this season of life to change something about me and within me. I am truly stronger, wiser, and better. The Lord just wanted to give me strength and He wanted me to just trust Him, regardless of what and how it looked like.
God wants us to trust Him in all seasons, no matter what kind of season we may be in. God is starting a new chapter in this book of my life. No one can keep me from my destiny. It's God's plan for my life.
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