Seasons

"There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

What does the worker gain from his toil?

I have seen the burden God has laid on men.

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;

Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Ecclesiates 3:1-11

Sitting in the Changi airport in Singapore, I stand on the brink of a new season in my life. I am in awe and amazed that God has chosen to bring in this new season with a monsoon. His mercy, love, grace, rich blessings seem to bucketing down on me ... and I am a little overwhelmed, by the sheer magnitude of his generosity! What an awesome heavenly Father I have. Mercy is mine ... only through the Cross. How beautiful the Cross is- bitter sweet!

In Naomi Reeds book -' My Seventh Monsoon' she writes:

"Each season comes to a close and ushers in the next one. And so it is in our lives. A time of pain and suffering does eventually move on. Joys and blessings once again bring a thankful heart. A period of isolation and loneliness is replaced by an overload of human relationships. Confusion may come and stay for a while. A good long while at times ... But of course, the next season is always close at hand.

Spiritually, we also move in seasons. We seem to bounce between times of great intimacy and closeness with God, to times of dryness. ...... These seasons not only affect the world in front of me but also in a strange and parallel way, affect my relationship with God. So I peer into the fog of my current season, often wondering what I will gain from my toil. I wonder whether I will see His hand transform my season into beauty. I wonder whether I will ever fathom what He is doing from beginning to end .... "

Mercies New Every Morning

'Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.'

Lamentations 3:22-23



Early morning smiles and greetings, from beautiful H.

Snuggly cuddles in my warm bed, with J.

A choir of Magpies, warbling in the new day - from our rooftop

Delicate lines of rain droplets, hanging from each leafless branch and twig - in my garden, sparkling as the light catches each one.

3 new pink blossoms, on the ornamental plum, reminding me of Spring joys to come.

Cinnamon sugar in my coffee.

Having my hair done, in tight little bunches by H.

Reading stories with J.

Listening to my children chatter and play together.

The coo of pigeons in the garden, reminding me of Nepal.

Anticipation of eating .... mangoes!!!



'The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;

where morning dawns, where evening fades,

you call forth songs of joy.'

Psalm 65:8

Jar of Pickles

I had to smile as I climbed into bed last night. Tucked under the covers was a jar of pickled gherkins. J had woken me that morning with the words 'Here go Mum - pickles!' ... and the jar had been thrust into my hands. Bleary eyed I had tried focusing on J's face, in the hope that this might help me make more sense of the unusual gift he had given me.

Today as I sat in the sun and surveyed the glorious gift of Creation all around me, I was reminded of another morning a few years ago. I had woken wondering how I would get to church. The petrol tank and bank account were empty. Upon opening the front door, I found the answer ... for there sat a frozen leg of lamb and $20!! (I found out later that these had been left by my mother-in-law, who had recently had one of their lambs butchered!)

When I arrived at church, one of the ladies gave me a bag full of clothes for Hannah, who was almost one. On arriving home, I found another bag hanging on the front door, full of little girls shoes and a note attached from our neighbour - a lovely Christian lady, who encouraged me in my newness to motherhood. (She had a son the same age as Hannah, who was her sixth child!)

That afternoon there was a knock on the door, and I opened it to find the children of our neighbours on the other side. They excitedly presented me with a pair of little purple socks that they had found at the playground and thought that they would fit Hannah. As I went outside to talk with the children, their father (a struggling single Dad to 5 rambunctious children) climbed over the low wire fence that separated our properties and handed me a frozen apple pie!!!

On the evening of that day, I had sat perplexed and wondering ... at this odd assortment of unexpected gifts. Was it all just a coincidence ... or was this the hand of God?! It all seemed very odd, but I thanked Him for this unusual provision. Little did I know that by the end of that week, everything in my already shaky world would be turned up-side down. That we would be depending completely on God to provide for all our needs.

God has proved a rock beneath my feet, a sturdy, dependable, firm place to stand ... and He has continued to provide in many, varied and unusual ways! Often His provision has been unexpected, and causes me to look back in wonder and awe that He knows our needs, better even than I do!

It is humbling to be so dependent. We like to rely on our own strength and to be independent. But then I am reminded that the truth is - we have nothing in this world that has not been provided by our generous God. Even the very breath inside us, is His gracious provision!

By far the greatest, most unusual and unexpected gift is Jesus. Through bleary eyes, the cross can look as strange as a jar of pickles. This unusual gift was provided by God when we were least expecting ... when we hadn't even realised our greatest need, our need for Him.

I can fill my needs with all sorts of things ... but nothing satisfies - more than fully depending on Him.