Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every [a]event under heaven— ”
The Lord takes us through different seasons in our lives to grow us. The challenge always is to remain faithful to Him and trust Him to know what He is doing. Are we willing to keep our focus on Him and trust Him to meet our needs? Or are we going to run the other direction and do things our own way?
Reflecting back over the last year there has been so much that has happened in our family and the lives of those we know around us. Each event has affected us in different ways. Not only is the person going through that immediate situation affected but so are those around them.
As I taught this spring I learned that a suicide immediately affects the lives of 6 people. No one is solely affected by the event they are going through. I think about that as I reflect on the many things that have happened in our own family.
Over the course of the last year many things have happened. Here are just a few.
My sister’s co-worker lost her 9 year old twins in an accident. The mother did not suffer the loss alone, it also affected her husband and other child, her co-workers and their families, her church family, the classmates of the boys, the families of the classmates, the entire student body and faculty where they went to school, and probably many others that we do not know.
When the student from our school was killed in a car accident, she was not the only one affected – her entire family, the student body and teachers and their families, her friends deeply, her church and many others that she had touched. She had a presence on Facebook and other places where now there is an empty hole.
As a family we attended the funerals of two uncles. We celebrated three weddings and the birth of three new babies. We prayed fervently for family and friends fighting cancer, heart infections, brain injuries, and organ transplants. Together we mourned and rejoiced. Together we have been made stronger. God takes these things we are going through to strengthen our faith.
We all go through various seasons of life. How we go through them will determine who 
we are in character.
In Scripture we are encouraged: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”(Romans 12:15) “Bear one another’s burdens… ” (Galatians 6:2) “Consider it pure joy when we go through trials… ” (James 1:2-4)
No matter what season you are going through at this moment, remember God is there with you. He is in control and He will carry you through. He also brings into our lives others to walk with us through those seasons. Don’t close others out but invite them into your season. “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven — ” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Prayer:
Lord, may we trust You as You take us through each season of our life. May we remember that You have appointed a time for everything. The timing may not be our timing but it is Your timing. And Your timing is always perfect and good. It may be painful at the moment, but ultimately You will use it to grow us. Thank You for loving us even when life looks dark. Thank You for bringing us the joys as well. May we never take our focus off of You. In Jesus’ Name Amen.