Turn, Turn, Turn

As the Byrds sang in 1965, "to everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season (turn, turn, turn)." But in case you didn't know (and I hope you do) Solomon penned these words in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.

For the last six weeks, our senior pastor has walked our church through the book of Ecclesiastes; and while the author tends to be somewhat negative throughout the book, there are multiple lessons to learn in the book.

The message that has hit in my heart more than anything comes from the first half of chapter three.

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again."

The first part of this passage is one that is read at a lot of funerals. It was read at both of my grandparents' celebration of life services. Different seasons in life bring different things. There are definite seasons that help set the rhythm of life. Harvest. Planting. Life. Death. Tearing. Mending. Each season shapes and molds. Verse 15 bookends the section and tells us that God orchestrates these holy rhythms.

I've read over this passage many times; but this time verse 11 stands out in a different light: "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end."

It makes sense. There is a season for everything- both the good, joyful times; and the times of pain. Each season has something for us. Each season helps us grow. You can't have the good seasons without coming out of the painful seasons. Coming out of the seasons of pain help us look back and see how faithful God has been to us. They help us see the goodness He brings. The good seasons help give us hope that God is up to something in us when the seasons of despair come- and they do come.

Maybe you're like me and you're coming out of a dark season. Maybe you're so deep into a dark tunnel that you don't think you'll ever see the light at the end. But friends I will tell you, because of Jesus we have the hope that our dark seasons are not the end for us. Our hearts long for eternity and we know death and darkness do not have the final word.

I'm reminded you cannot have the good and fruitful seasons without first going through the dark and painful seasons. I'm especially reminded of this during Midwestern winters where there's snow on the ground-- a beautiful blanket of white covering all of the dead plants; and then, the random days of warmth where the snow melts and shows all the death and decay underneath while giving the hope of spring to come.

Hold on friends. Hope is around the corner. The darkness does not win. The eternity placed in our hearts give us hope through our storms- even when we can't see what's going on. Trust God because He's there.