Season of Waiting

Autumn has arrived! During this season, we know what to expect. Temperatures and levels of humidity will be lower than in summer. We find the crispness of the mornings to be refreshing, complementing the crunch of leaves beneath our feet. Rays of sunlight shining at lower angles through the changing crimson, orange and yellow leaves cause us to rejoice at the wonders of Creation.

What a lovely time of year! Images of pumpkins, Indian corn and all varieties of squash and gourds come to mind as we ponder this new season. It is harvest time. Farmers thank the LORD for providing in abundance as they reap the fruit of their labors that began in spring. Through patience and trust, Yahweh provides in due time.

Have we ever been anxious for the next season to arrive? During the summer, we may anticipate the chill that autumn provides. But what would it be like to see leaves turn color and fall in July? We would have bare skeletal branches for the remainder of the summer. What if our spring flowers began sprouting in January? They would freeze and die before we could see the buds blossom into full flower. It would not be the same as if we waited for the next season to come at the right time. “… The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing” (Harris, p. 78).

Just as farmers wait patiently for their crops to fully grow and ripen before harvesting them, we must wait patiently for the next season’s blessings in our personal lives. We are required to surrender our lives to the set segments of time in order to properly enjoy the beauty of each season. Placing our desires on hold and determining to wait on the LORD will prove to be rewarding.

As young maidens, if we seek a romantic relationship with a man before the time is right, we are merely involving ourselves in emotional confusion and counterfeit love. Just as the premature flower dies from cold and ice in winter, so withers the heart of one engaged in untimely emotional attachment. Our longings may be fulfilled for a moment, but will not reach the full beauty that the following season will be able to nurture.

”Just as spring’s role is different from that of fall, so each of the seasons of our lives has a different emphasis, focus and beauty. One is not better than another; each season yields its own unique treasures. We cannot skip ahead to experience the riches of another life season any more than a farmer can rush the spring. Each season builds on the one before it” (Harris, p. 78).

Through experience and prediction, we know relatively well the order of the seasons and what we can expect each to bring. After autumn comes winter and the cycle begins again with a new spring. Though each autumn has similar characteristics, they each bring surprises and something different than the one before through fluctuating weather patterns and changes in Creation. Even still, we can look ahead and know what will soon be upon us. As young ladies, we can glimpse ahead to the next season of our lives – which may bring unity with a young man in marriage. The problem is, we desire the rewards of that time before it arrives and can easily make the mistake of seeking the affection and intimacy of male companions, rushing into premature relationships.

Society says, “If you want it, it’s yours.” This voice is so strong and so prevalent everywhere we turn. Instant gratification, focus on self and indulgence in fleshly pleasures are the rule. Using the regular postal service will not do. Handwritten letters are now messages to be instantly e-mailed. Phone calls become “text messages” through cell phones and packages must be expressed for overnight delivery. Meals are eaten on the go or thrown in the microwave if there is more time. SnickersTM candy bars use a slogan that epitomizes the mentality of our generation in regard to food: “Hungry? Why wait?” There is no need to delay your body’s need for nourishment until you can arrive home and prepare dinner, indulge yourself now with a sweet treat. Deep down, we know there are consequences for giving in to this way of thinking. A SnickersTM bar may be tolerable after a balanced and nutritious meal, but will fill us up too quickly and leave us feeling sick and guilty for indulging ourselves in this selfish way before the meal.

The sweetness we maidens see that marriage provides, if consumed too soon, will leave us feeling shameful and improperly fulfilled. While the world governs itself with immediate self-satisfaction, as followers of Christ, our lives must be principled by patient self-denial. “…God wants us to appreciate the gifts of the present season of our lives. He wants us to learn the patience and trust necessary to wait for His perfect time in all things, including our love lives” (Harris, p. 77).

The experience and insight of our elder Sisters is needed to teach us, as young maidens, the wisdom in waiting for the next season, while redeeming the time and enjoying the blessings of the season we currently live in – the season of singleness. This perspective requires a realization that God does provide in His time. Even more important, we need to accept whatever it is He plans for our lives, even if that means remaining single. (See I Cor. 7:8, 34-35.)

Our loving, merciful, gracious and compassionate Father in Heaven has given us our very breath of life. He has created the whole earth and allowed us to dwell therein. He has provided and cared for us more than the ravens of the air and lilies of the field (Luke 12:24, 27-28). Can we trust in this Almighty God and remain content knowing His plan will be accomplished in our lives? We must surrender. Let us give up our own will and make His will ours, as Christ was able to do so perfectly. What comfort and relief we feel when we rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him, as David expressed so often in his Psalms of praise, such as in Psalm 37:7.

Let us enjoy the blessings provided in this season and realize the time is just right for crisp air, multi-colored trees and delicious aromas of pumpkin and spice drifting from the window as we help rake the leaves.  While we may look forward to softly falling snowflakes, warm, fuzzy mittens and hot cocoa sprinkled with mini marshmallows, we will savor and make the most of the current season.

Reference: Harris, Joshua. I Kissed Dating Goodbye. Sisters: Multnomah, 2003.