This time of year, I always love to joke about how many “false spring” days we’re going to get before the warm weather decides to stick around. Personally, I’m a big fan of the spring and fall seasons that bring forth the in-between weather that is cool but not cold, full of sunshine and warmth but not hot. I also appreciate the in-between of the seasons as we are reminded of the circle of life as colors change and life blooms forth in spring, or as life prepares to hibernate in the fall.
Recently, I’ve been thinking about how the changing of seasons is not just around us, but also within us. Personally, I have been living in a season that is filled with both grief and joy. In the hard moments especially, I like to think about the literal ways the circle of life continues — like not long ago when I was sitting with a family as we said goodbye to a loved one in a hospital room, while a dear friend of theirs gave birth to a new baby on another floor in the same hospital. Life is full of cycles of life, death, rebirth, and renewal… and everything in-between, too.
I’m not sure what season of life you may be in or heading toward: but I am sure that wherever you find yourself today, you aren’t alone in it. In this season of Easter, resurrection reminds us that while death will come: the worst thing is never the last thing. Joy and new life are coming, even if in unexpected or unanticipated ways. With change, grief, or loss come forth opportunities for growth, community, and joy, too.
Whether you are nearing the end of a school year and thinking about graduations and all the changes that will bring forth, or looking to make a big change in your personal, social, or professional life, or maybe even facing (welcome or unwelcome) changes as life continues to cycle and remind us loss and rebirth: you are not alone. The people of the world around you are facing (similar but different) changes, too. Let’s not try to do this alone. After all, scripture invites us to live in community together, as Hebrews 10:24-25 says:
“Let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. Don’t stop meeting together… Instead, encourage each other…”
If you’re in a season where you might need a little extra support, please remember: there are people and places that want to encourage you along the way. Please reach out to a friend, colleague, or local church where you can be loved through difficult transitions. And if you’re in a season where your joy could be multiplied by sharing it with those around you, please know this invitation is for you, too.
As the seasons cycle, may the longer days and warmer temperatures that bring forth new life remind us that no matter what season we find ourselves in, there is always room for hope, joy, and new opportunities.
This week’s Reflections colum was written by the Rev. Jen Osterloh of First United Methodist Church.
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