By Leroy Richardson, Baptist Minister
Growing up we always had a garden at our house. Turnip greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, squash, cantaloupe, watermelon, purple hulled peas, black-eye peas, corn and cabbage were a few of the items that made the list. To receive the harvest for each, the same process fulfilled the purpose in each season.
Why are there four basic seasons necessary in most of the natural world?(except equator and the poles) Does human life go through these same seasons? What’s happening through each season?
Usually winter is the coldest season which reduces movement. Spring season is a weather transition from cold to warmer. Summer season is usually the warmest and maximum life movement in the earth takes place. Fall season usually transitions from warmest to cooler temperatures. Each of these seasons have a purpose for maximum productivity.
The winter season is for resting. First, the ground rests in winter. Not only does the soil need rejuvenating but the seed need time to generate maturity for the planting. If the seed is not able to withstand change from a protected environment to a harsher environment, it will rot in the ground. It’s a time for storing/acquiring knowledge for the coming planting season.
By the time spring comes around, both soil and seed are now ready for a new adventure. After tilling the ground, the gardener selectively plants appropriate seed at selected time intervals according to expectation of the growth period. It’s wisdom to know the time to maturity for each different seed before going into the next season.
Summer is the time of exercising faith. It’s another waiting period(first waiting period is winter). This time an expectation of complete growth process requires patiently waiting. It’s also a time to remove unwanted weed growth that robs the soil of nutrients. Just because you see something coming up, don’t get too excited and try to harvest before the time. It will lead to a crop failure.
Finally, fall, harvest time is here. The gardener inspects the crop for maturity. The gardener must know what maturity looks like in each crop planted. Each crop has its unique harvest time just like it has its unique planting time. The purpose of the fall season is to give hope for another season of productivity. It generates faith to do it all over again.
Human life go through these seasons as well for maximum life productivity. A time of rest, reflection, and expanded knowledge. A time of throwing out old seed and planting new seed. A time of weeding and waiting on the growth to finish. Then a time of harvest for each crop on time.
But there comes a time when seasons end. Have you prepared for that time? “The egg’s no chick by falling from the hen, Nor man a Christian till he’s born again.” -Bunyan