Know and embrace your life’s changing seasons

I recently read the story of a professional football player who walked off the field in the middle of a game never to return to the sport. The stunning move left many wondering why. Had he lost his mind? Did he understand what he was giving up? Others thought it was selfish of him to “ditch” his teammates in that manner. In telling his story, however, he said while sitting on the sidelines he had a moment of profound clarity. He knew in his heart that it was time to leave the game. With his body changing and sluggish recovery from injuries, he had struggled with the decision long before that moment, but this time he had to listen—he knew and was ready to let go. A year later, he has not regretted the decision.

The story reminds me that there is a rhythm and flow to our lives, an inner clock that knows our life’s seasons. There is a time to pull something in and a time to let go; a time to take a job and a time to leave one; a time to embrace a special relationship and a time to avoid one; a time to stay and a time to move. No matter how much we dull it, if we listen closely, there is a voice within each of us that tells us during the most important turns of our lives not only whether what we are choosing is right for us but also whether it is time. When we ignore or argue with it, we make wrong choices and become miserable.

Too often we let our fears and insecurities cause us to stay in one season longer than we should or jump into another faster than we should. Our faith, however, asks us to resist those fears and learn to trust that inner voice because ultimately, it is only when we live in the God-established rhythms of our lives or “God’s timing” that we learn that life is, in all its seasons, quite beautiful.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens …” (Eccl. 3:1)