Seasons of Change

As many of you know, we have recently moved from Arizona to Nevada.  What has become quite apparent is the difference in the topography and the associated weather patterns.

The Scottsdale, Arizona area seemed to have 2 seasons:  Summer ON and Summer OFF.  Nevada comes closer to the 4 seasons I remember as a kid growing up in the Midwest.  Here we have seen cooler temperatures, snow, tree leaves turning colors, and leaves even falling to the ground.  I know my old school textbooks talked about 4 seasons, but having lived in Arizona for more than 30 years I guess I thought maybe the textbooks had been rewritten.

This also got me to thinking about “Seasons of Change” within our individual lives.

A few years ago I read The Seven Seasons of a Man’s Life by Patrick M. Morley.  In his book he identified the follow 7 seasons, or unique challenges men face:

• The Season of Reflection (The search for meaning and purpose)
• The Season of Building (Building a career and lifestyle)
• The Season of Crisis (Burnout)
• The Season of Renewal (What is worth dying for?)
• The Season of Rebuilding(Paradigm shift?)
• The Season of Suffering (Why do bad things happen to good people?)
• The Season of Success (How do you define success?)

Just as there are 4 earthly weather seasons that repeat themselves throughout our life, the above seasons continue to repeat themselves in our lives.  While one age span of our life may be more prone to a particular season, it certainly doesn’t have a corner on the market.

Where financial independence and creating wealth may have consumed a good portion of our adult life, we may be moving into a season now where we are more concerned with significance.  How can we leave that portion of the world where we have some level of influence in a better shape than when we found it?

It’s not the date you were born or the date you died, that really matters.  It’s “the dash” between those years and what you do with it to make a difference with your life.

In the past few weeks and months many friends, relatives, and acquaintances have suffered greatly through various issues.  Some have suffered financial setbacks and struggles due to the falling economy and others have suffered through the devastating effects of cancer either in their own bodies or in the bodies of those they love.  Still others have suffered through the loss of a loved one through death.  None of this is ever easy.  But by defining our personal “dash” by serving others will allow us to come through the various seasons of our life.

The classic poem written by Linda Ellis has been put made into a flash movie accompanied with music.  In addition it has been expanded into a small book that is worthy of gift giving.  To watch the movie, please click on the banner below.  You will have the opportunity to purchase the book and dvd if you desire but are under no obligation to do so.

Tags: Change, Dash, rocking chair, Seasons, wisdom