Unfortunately, time stops for no man or woman!  But wouldn’t it be great if time was like the number 57 bus and we could make unscheduled stops, or better still, get off and catch one going in the opposite direction, so that we could correct the many mistakes we made on the first journey?  Regrettably, time isn’t like that, it cannot be reasoned with, diverted or distracted.  It is incredibly focused and highly committed and we often live our lives ruled, repressed, controlled or anxious about time.

However, much of the grief we experience is rooted in our failure to recognize, appreciate or make the most of the time and season we are experiencing now.  We are often so preoccupied with the life we would like to be living that we simply miss the life we are currently leading!  In the words of one writer, ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy planning what to do!’

Times and seasons are important and should be noted.  According to Genesis 1 God has carefully and deliberately programmed a variety of times and seasons into the very fabric of reality and He, constrained neither by time nor season, has ensured that we are limited to both.  Thankfully, our times and seasons are in God’s hands.  They are also directed by Him and ultimately serve His purposes.

Every time and every season is important but not all of them are equal! In fact, when the Bible speaks about time, we need to ask, what kind?  The Bible employs a variety of terms to describe ‘time’, such as Chronos, the time that passes, or Kairos, the time to act, or aeon, eternal or everlasting time.  All these are rather inadequately expressed in English by our single word, ‘time’.

 In God’s wisdom, He has ensured that everyone reading this today exists in this particular time and in this specific season.  Since the time allotted to us cannot be rewound, revisited or recovered, we cannot afford to conduct our lives as if they were a mere dress rehearsal. Now is our moment!  What we choose to do now in our home and work place, or among our friends and family is what counts.

Times and seasons are also designed with a specific goal in mind.  According to Ecclesiastes 3, not every season is a fruit bearing season and not every ‘time’ exists for laughing or crying.  Some seasons exist for scattering and for tearing down, while others are designed for gathering and for building up.  Thankfully (or sadly), on this side of eternity, no single season lasts forever.  However, every season has a purpose and the potential to bring us closer to fulfilling God’s intentions for our own lives and the lives of those around us.  Consequently, every season, however challenging, should be valued and appreciated for what it may potentially contribute to our lives. What we often fail to appreciate, is that on this side of eternity it takes all kinds of weather to produce a rich harvest and God sends it all our way!

In order to enjoy the life that God has given us to the fullest, we must embrace each season and situation that He places us in and we should learn from each ‘time’ we pass through. We find contentment more easily when we recognize that every time has value and every season involves some sort of sacrifice, but also offers us special blessings.

Living within each time and season requires patience and perseverance as we seek to rearrange priorities and refocus our activities. It also requires a discerning heart and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

You may not yet be what you had hoped for, have what you longed for or be where you wished to be but every time and season of your life has both meaning and significance. This very moment is an important time of your life!  How you interpret it, what you do with it and what you invite God to do with it, will ultimately determine whether it truly becomes a time of your life!

Revd Dr Kate Coleman (edited for this site by Karen Martindale)

This article first appeared in Liberti Magazine