I believe there is a fundamental rhythm to every aspect of our
life. In his book The Art of
Exceptional Living, Jim Rohn uses the rhythm of the 4 seasons to explain 4 life
lessons. Each season makes its demands
of us. By becoming aware of them,
learning them, and applying them in our own seasonal rhythm of life, there is
no doubt these lessons will aid us in our Advent journey.
Handle the winters
Every
year, winter comes. It always comes. We
deal with it by preparing for it. Whether
it’s changing our clothing, changing our way of life, or changing our location,
we always get ready for winter; because we know it’s coming. The same applies to our life. Rough times WILL come. No life goes smoothly without a problem from
beginning to end. Thus, we have to prepare
for its demands physically and spiritually, so when it does come, we are not
stuck in the cold without a coat. Be
ready to handle the winters in life, to recognize the signs, so that in the
midst of winter’s harsh demands we can “… stand erect, head raised … for your
redemption is at hand.” (Lk
21:34)
Take
advantage of the spring
Spring
follows winter. It’s a time where
opportunities arise. Flowers blossom and
creatures come out of their hibernation. The same thing applies within our lives. After a challenging time, we will be faced
with a great opportunity. It is our duty
to take full advantage of the springs when they pop up. This is our moment to plant the seeds of
greatness to come. We never see all the
beauty that is life and nature on this planet decide not to awaken one year in
the spring! It does because it’s meant
to do so. Jesus’ great birth story doesn’t
end in the tomb; it rises to new life, to a more intimate relationship with God
and his human family. Let’s hold our own
existence to that same standard. Make
your springs the springboard to getting where you want to go, to who God
created us to be.
Protect
your summer
After planting our seeds in the spring, soon the summer will
come. This is a time where we can reap
the benefits of our crops. As well as
being a time of joy and comfort, it’s also a time to be careful. Jim Rohn points out
that “all good will be attacked”, the enemy of our salvation is a cunning
master of deceit. If we are not careful,
lulled into complacency of a job well done, our crops can either be stolen,
destroyed, or spoiled. Therefore, we
must do whatever it takes to protect our crops. I am confident of this, that the one who began
a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6) We can be confident that we “… are remembered
by God.” (Bar 5:5) He will make lofty
mountains low and fill age-old depths and gorges, leading us with mercy and
justice. (Bar 5:7)
Take
responsibility in the fall
As the
autumn comes, the trees change color, lose their leaves, and the weather gets
cooler. As we gear up for another
winter, it is the best time to take full responsibility of what happened in the
previous seasons, the good, the bad, and the ugly. This is the time where we can open ourselves
to learning the lessons that the previous seasons taught us and put everything
into perspective. They say that the fall
is the time of the year where there is more depression than any other time. In part, this is due to people not taking such
responsibilities nor learning from previous successes and/or mistakes. Only by doing so can we be ready once more to
handle another winter that is coming, and plan for the following spring &
summer.[1]
The
season of Advent also has its demands.
Advent says: “Wait.” It says,
“Prepare.” It says, “Repent.” It says, “Convert.” Its patron saint isn’t the Baby Jesus—it’s
John the Baptist. And today, he’s in a
prison, a wretched hole in the ground, waiting for Jesus to come to his
rescue. Just like you and me, sometimes:
sitting in a hole of pain, suffering, anxiety, or worse, waiting for Jesus to
come to our rescue. Today’s Gospel tells
us that in the midst of the darkness and disorientation of our times a light
will come, in a form we can understand, embrace and engage in a relationship of
hope, where “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Lk 3:6)
Let’s not
allow the season of Advent to run its course without responding to its
demands. Sure, we can ignore it, jump
right to excitement of Christmas, if we want to. But we’ll miss the chance to do what Advent
demands: quiet reflection,
prayer, repentance, and conversion in anticipation of
the Lord coming to our rescue.
[2] Hungry, and You Fed Me, Editied by
Deacon Jim Knipper © 2012. “Prepare the way of the Lord.” by
Fr. Paul Holmes.
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