Giving and Taking

 In Life

We are finally in my most favorite season of the year – fall! I love the smells (cinnamon! pumpkin!), the sights (scarecrows outside of doors and candy corn on store shelves), and the sounds (football back on our TV!), but mostly, I just love how fall feels. It’s like the verge of something exciting to come, with a wind of change in the air.

Just as much as the calendar has seasons, our lives are full of them, as well. Virtually nothing that you are walking through right now will last forever, and, as such, it’s temporary, a season. That can be a sobering reminder when we’re feeling on top of the world – remember, nothing lasts forever. At the same time, it can be great encouragement when you are facing a storm – hey, it’s not going to last forever! No matter where you are, it’s important to remember that the season of life you are in is temporal.

Along these same lines, it’s important to remember that there are going to be seasons of life in which you are the giver, and seasons in which you are the taker. What does that mean? Simply put, sometimes you will need to be a giver – the one who prays for others, watches your friend’s kids when they are sick, or brings meals to someone in need. Other times, you’ll need to take a bit more – you’ll have to swallow your pride and ask for help, seek prayer support, and call on others to assist you in various ways. That can be hard. Maybe you’d much rather be the one giving the help than the one receiving it. Maybe having to sit in a place of humility where you ask for assistance is truly the last thing on earth you would like to do. Don’t let your pride beat you up about needing help. Remember that we were created for one another, and that, chances are, if you are in need this season, you’ll be the one helping someone else in need in the next season.

Which season are you in right now? Are you constantly pouring yourself out for others, or are you finding yourself needing more help than ever before? Either way, take a deep breath and relax. This is just a season. It will pass. The important thing is that which is unchanging – God Himself – and how He remains constant when all seasons come and go. Giving or taking, God is there with you, helping you and breathing life into you. Cling to the Unchanging today. Seasons come and go, but Christ is the same forever.

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