For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
Before modern clocks and calendars were invented the ancients knew what time and season they were in by the signs around them. The turning of the maple leaf and the first cool breeze from the North said that summer was ending and Fall would soon arrive. The running of the sap during the day was a first sign of blessed Spring. These signs could not be denied or wished away -- though having lived in Vermont I know what it is to wish away Fall and all that comes after it and I am sure the ancients tried it. But the signs always tell the season; and every season gets it turn.
The same is true in our spiritual and relational lives. Signs say it is time -- time to let go, move on, break away, say goodbye, mourn, reach out, mend a fence, build a bridge, reach for something new. The signs of our lives tell us when it's so. The spirit of the ancient inside us tells us when to wait, when to watch, and when to act. The spirit will always tell us what season we are in. Our job is to trust the spirit and to remember that every season belongs -- even the harsh Winter.
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