This Too Shall Pass

No, I am not talking about kidney stones here- although if you are suffering with those, that is my prayer for you!

Have you ever been in a season of life that seemed as though it would never end? Dealing with kids in the terrible twos that seem to be lasting well into their kindergarten days or maybe a boss that just never appreciates your diligence and hard work. Or maybe your season is more serious in the form of a sick loved one or you yourself are dealing with illness. Or maybe you know when that season ends it will lead you right into another season that looks just as desperate as the one you’re currently in. Maybe your season feels like winter in the Artic-like it will NEVER end.

When my children were little and it seemed like every day was the same, day in and day out and they were all over the place driving me crazy (I had three under the age of two at one point!), I was on the phone with my grandmother one day complaining about whatever mischief the three toddlers had recently gotten into and she just chuckled- yes, chuckled! My life felt completely turned upside down and I remember feeling very much out of control and as if this was how every day was going to be for the REST OF MY LIFE and my grandmother chuckled! Why did she chuckle? Because she knew, with wisdom gained from years of living, the truth of the words she was about to say to me. She said, “This too shall pass.” NOT what I wanted to hear and I remember even feeling a little aggravated with her for not being more sympathetic to my plight. I mean, didn’t she understand? No one did because no one ever anywhere had ever gone through what I was going through! Ever feel that way?

Well, I think back to that conversation often and, well, she was right. But of course you already knew that! What I did not realize at the time though was how quickly it would pass!

There can be times in our lives when one day can feel like a year- like when a loved one is gravely ill or you are waiting for tests results from your doctor. It certainly doesn’t feel like this season will pass any time soon if at all.

Where is the moment to treasure when we just want this season to pass? I believe the treasure can be in what we learn in a particular season, the strength we develop for going through that season. What if the treasure is time itself? Time spent with an ill loved one, time at your job that enables you to provide for your family, time with your children before they grow up and go out into the real world.

What does the wisest man who ever lived have to say about time and seasons? Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes; “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV)

In 1965, the Byrds released the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” about this passage. They sang, “To everything turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn…”

In other words, this too shall pass, but don’t let this season pass before you capture the moment to treasure!

Throwback to way back! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKP4cfU28vM