“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”

— Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

Even if you aren’t a church-going person, this scripture from Ecclesiastes may sound familiar to you. Did the 1960s song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” from The Byrds pop into your head? I hear it every time I read the scripture!

One thing which separates humans from the rest of the natural world is the ability and desire to make meaning out of life. We spend countless hours working to answer the question, “What is the meaning of life?” Scripture, poetry, music, art, thoughts, prayers, tears, and laughter, have been poured into humans attempting to express this basic human yearning.

The book of Ecclesiastes (one of the Wisdom Books from the Hebrew Scriptures) is an attempt to make meaning out of life. The author of Ecclesiastes does not shy away from the hard parts of life. Pain is not sugar coated. All of the angst and wrestling with life is laid out to read about thousands of years later. The scripture encourages the reader, us, to release human attempts to control everything. Translator of The Message Bible, Eugene Peterson, describes Ecclesiastes as, “a John the Baptist kind of book. It functions not as a meal but as a bath. It is not nourishment; it is cleansing. It is repentance. It is purging.” That can be a tough read, can’t it? What can it mean for you to release and to be cleansed of your desire for control? Come back to this when life feels especially tense.

One of the gifts of living in Ohio is experiencing the fullness of the seasons. I’ve always wondered what it is like to live in regions where there is a monolithic seasonal experience. I think I would miss the diversity we experience in Ohio. I love watching new life burst forth in spring, the heartiness and fullness of the summer months, the beginning decay of flowers and trees in the fall, and the dormancy of the winter as the earth prepares for another season of new life.

Ecclesiastes 3 is a reminder that all in due time, according to God’s great rhythm, we experience life. And, it’s out of our control!

We have our own seasons of newness and growth, fullness and vitality, slowness and maturity, and dormancy and quiet. What season are you currently in? How are you experiencing God’s activity in your life? What is God calling you to in this very special season of your life?

Maybe you are a “spring-time” Christian in need of a wise elder to help guide you in your maturity. Perhaps you are the “fall” Christian and God is calling you to mentor a new Christian. Or, is God calling you to be involved in a “summer” ministry: that is, one which has already been established and is in need of people to help sustain it. Or, maybe you’re entering into a “winter” phase of your spiritual life where rest and quiet reflection are what is in order.

Whatever season of life you are in, it is my prayer that you embrace it for all of the goodness that it is. Celebrate God’s steadfast presence through all seasons of your life. May you walk through your seasons with gratitude and appreciation, today and all days.

Rev. Jennifer Applegate is pastor at the William Street United Methodist Church in Delaware.