Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Seasons Change

As I sit here in my office early on this Tuesday morning my window looks out towards the house and behind it the eastern sky is starting to lighten up. It's quite beautiful and amazing.

The rhythms of life are intricately connected here on this earth, and they feel even more tied together here in this field. Winter is coming, so preparations are being made. Equipment is being placed into storage, poultry is being sent to market, cattle is being shipped or moved to winter homes. And the land is allowed to rest. 

Rest. Hibernation. Winter brings that to us in different ways, at least here on the Canadian prairies. We are forced by the coming rhythm of winter, to change gears, downshift, conserve energy, rest. And that is a good thing.

I don't know who we would be if we didn't have winter. I suspect choosing to rest if it wasn't forced upon us might be difficult. Probably even seen as a weakness. And if our neighbours didn't rest, then probably neither would we.

So we are forced, by the plans of God and the grace of the land, to rest. And even if we inside ourselves don't slow down, that's our choice. Sometimes the land and the rhythms of life God has given us, are smarter than we are, and if we are teachable we will learn a thing or two about seasons of rest.

Learning to live well in that balance is a secret to life that not all people understand. Whether you are a high stakes banker living in the glass towers of the big city, or a farmer working the land. There are things about the balanced life that we need to learn, so that our lives too will be blessed in ways that give us life.

Sunset in the Field

1 comment:

  1. I really like that, Randall. That's something I never grew up thinking about. And slowly, ever so slowly, I'm trying to incorporate the seasons into my life. The Christian calendar, too, Marc and I have been trying to go through that each year. For me, who wants to do everything NOW, it really does teach you that there is time. Time to focus one thing and let yourself be shaped by it, instead of tackling everything at once. (Why does everything I write on here never make sense?!)

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