Seasons

Here we are again with the changing of seasons.  It gets me every time.  As if I weren't expecting it.  As if it were a party I forgot I was going to, but somehow I arrived there and found myself not ready.  Not ready, but I'm still glad I'm there, and not to worry, I can just be ready in a minute.

A new season comes and I wonder how I can let go of the way I've been living day in and day out for a whole new way.  Will I get used to the longer days?  Won't I miss the cozy, dark days I've grown accustomed to?  After all, I had to get used to that a few months ago and feel quite happy about it right now.  How can we shift our activities and routines suddenly?? I'm not ready!  This means digging out different clothes, shoes, and accessories of all sorts.  It means putting away the snow clothes, snow boots, gloves, and hats for wind breakers, gardening gloves, bike helmets, and flip flops.  It means eating dinner when it is still light outside... heck, it means doing EVERYTHING when it is still light outside because by June, it will still be light at 9:30 at night!

After some reflecting, I was able to tie in to this cycle a different cycle.  It's the cycle of prayer times in one day.  Similar to the seasons, the times of prayer change with the amount of sunlight hitting the earth.  So, in the shorter days of the year the prayer times are very close together.  In the longer days of the year, the prayer times are very spread out.  Just as I feel I'm not ready for spring, I feel like I'm not ready for the widely-spaced prayer times.  I wonder how I can let go of the way I've been living day in and day out for a whole new way. Will I get used to the longer days? Won't I miss the cozy, dark days I've grown accustomed to? After all, I had to get used to that a few months ago and feel quite happy about it right now. How can we shift our prayer times so drastically??

But we do.  The seasons change and the days change.  And our routines and activities change.  And this is a good thing.  It makes us pay attention.  Old routines need to catch up and adjust.  Hopefully it's a chance to refresh, to ditch a bad habit, to start a good habit, or to just enjoy the variety that God has given us in bounty. 

I think this kind of change is testimony to the fact that while humans are in need of change, we are also in need of rhythm.  The seasons, mercifully, are only four, and they do cycle back.  We can anticipate what is to come (rhythm), and we can benefit from its going (change).

Now let's hope I can wake up on time tomorrow since we moved the clocks forward!