Can You See His Provisions?

We tend to refer to different parts of our lives as seasons, linking them to our natural weather seasons. We experience different seasons in our faith, relationships, and as we age. Winter is used to describe experiences that are barren, challenging, or related to dying. Spring represents youth, new life, and growth. Summer is the warm, satisfying, and joyful parts of life. Autumn connotes maturity, decline, and the end of the sweetness of summer.

These descriptions make the spring and summer seasons seem the most desirable. No one wants to experience decline or death. We all yearn for newness, warmth, and joy. And yet, even the Bible tells us that remaining in one season indefinitely is impossible. Ecclesiastes 3 informs us that there’s a time for everything and a season for every experience. There’s a season for birth and a season for death. A season for joy and a season for mourning. A season of keeping and a season of releasing. A season of laughter and a season of crying.

Ecclesiastes indicates that it’s natural to experience highs and lows, joys and sorrows. While we don’t desire to experience the more negative parts of life, it can be comforting to know that these seasons are normal, they come to all of us, and God is with us through every one. God alone knows what we’ll face throughout our lifetimes and can guide us through even the most challenging of circumstances.

We may have a tendency to thank God for our positive experiences but then act like he’s abandoned us when we enter a darker season. God does not delight in our hardships, he allows them and is prepared to walk through them with us. Because God is omniscient, when he created us, he saw our whole lives stretched out before us. He can see the bumps in our roads, and I believe that he makes holy provisions for us when we’re experiencing a struggle. It’s our job to look for them.

This isn’t a case of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. It’s choosing to believe that God won’t fail us and asking him to show us the good that can come from our difficult circumstances. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28 NIV, emphasis mine). If we’ll seek God’s wisdom especially in trying times, we can redeem the time and deepen our relationship with him.

We’ve been in an especially long season in 2020, one that has disrupted all normalcy. If you’re like me, you still have some optimism that the end is closer than it seems. However, none of us can be sure how much longer this season will last. I’ve cycled through many feelings–acceptance, frustration, anger, resentment, peace, contentment, and lethargy.

The lack of an end date for this season is the biggest challenge for me, but I’m beginning to see what good can be gained from this time. The most obvious is the truth that I’m not in control. I can’t decide I’m done with the pandemic and move on. It won’t just go away because I’m bored or frustrated. I have to let go of my desire for control and trust that God knows what he’s doing. This is a good thing.

I’m also learning I don’t have to be completely in control in order to have joy and peace. Relaxing my grip allows room for spontaneity and fun. Looking for ways to make positive memories with my family while also staying safe reminds me that life is about more than productivity. People make life worthwhile.

The importance of community has sparked new levels of creativity, vulnerability, and flexibility. I dislike video chatting mediums because they feel awkward, but I’ve been willing to get over my discomfort in order to have the personal connections I crave. I’ve had Zoom and Facetime calls. I’ve invited individuals to come sit on my porch in chairs seven feet apart to talk for an hour. At times, admitting my need for relationship has felt scary, but everyone has been very open and receptive, and it’s provided opportunities to get to know people on a deeper level than during the busyness of pre-COVID life.

This season has given most people the opportunity to slow down and consider what’s important. For most of us, the answer is relationships. While this should be obvious considering Jesus told us the most important things are our relationships with God and people, many of us tend to be driven by the hectic pace of twenty-first-century life. The pandemic, while frustrating, has at least provided us the opportunity to consider what our true priorities should be and rearrange our lives to focus on them.

While this season may not be ideal, there are good gifts to be received from it. May we look for the provisions God has prepared for us and use them to make deeper investments in our relationships. Let’s be grateful that we don’t wield total control over our lives, thank God for his compassionate care of us, and ask God to show us the other gifts he has for us in this and every season we experience.

Megan Byrd is a mother of two who loves reading, writing, traveling, and introverting. When she’s not at a class at the gym, she can either be found perusing used book stores for great deals or exploring her new town of Asheville, NC. She is the author of Between Us Girls and can be found chronicling her reading journey @meganbyrdreads on Instagram or writing about life at meganbyrd.net.

Photograph © Cathy Mü, used with permission