Seasons 不同季节

[Dexu Xia]

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

I recently came across a helpful word: wintering. Just as winter is a time of slowing down in much of the natural world, author Katherine May uses this word to describe our need to rest and recuperate during life’s “cold” seasons. I found the analogy helpful after losing my father to cancer, which sapped me of energy for months. Resentful of this forced slowing down, I fought against my winter, praying summer’s life would return. But I had much to learn.

Ecclesiastes famously says there’s “a season for every activity under the heavens”—a time to plant and to harvest, to weep and to laugh, to mourn and to dance (3:1–4). I had read these words for years but only started to understand them in my wintering season. For though we have little control over them, each season is finite and will pass when its work is done. And while we can’t always fathom what it is, God is doing something significant in us through them (v. 11). My time of mourning wasn’t over. When it was, dancing would return. Just as plants and animals don’t fight winter, I needed to rest and let it do its renewing work.

“Lord,” a friend prayed, “would You do Your good work in Sheridan during this difficult season.” It was a better prayer than mine. For in God’s hands, seasons are purposeful things. Let’s submit to His renewing work in each one.

By:  Sheridan Voysey

When have you wanted a season to end before its time? What do you think God wants to do in you this season?

Father God, thank You for using every season for Your glory and my good.

凡事都有定期，天下万务都有定时。—传道书3章1节

冬季时，动植物大多会处于放慢或停止生长的状态，有位作家就用“过冬”这个词，来描述我们在生命的“冬季”时，必须休息调养。我发现这个比喻对我有极大的帮助，因为在我父亲因癌症过世后，我有好几个月都萎靡不振。我不喜欢被迫放慢脚步，因此我抵抗生命的“冬季”，祈求能快快恢复到夏季般蓬勃的生命。但我要学习的还有很多。

传道书有句名言：“天下万务都有定时”──栽种有时，拔出有时；哭有时，笑有时；哀恸有时，跳舞有时（3章1-4节）。多年来，我反复研读这些经节，但直到自己经历“过冬”时，才开始理解其中的意涵。我们虽无法掌握人生四季，但每个季节都有期限，当它们完成任务后就会成为过去。就算我们经常无法厘清自己正处于哪个季节，但上帝仍在这些日子里，在我们身上完成重要的工作（11节）。我哀恸的日子虽尚未结束，但结束时，跳舞的日子就会回来了。如同动植物不抵抗冬季一样，我也必须休息，让冬季完成更新的工作。

一位朋友为我祷告说：“主啊，在这艰难时期，求祢在薛顿身上做美好的事。”这比我自己的祷告更好，因在上帝手中，每个季节都有祂的美意。愿我们在每个季节，都降服于祂更新的工作。

作者：  霍薛顿

你何时曾期盼某个季节能早早结束？
在你如今的生命季节中，上帝对你的旨意是什么？

天父，感谢祢用每个季节使祢得荣耀，也让我得益处。