Seasoned.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."  Ecclesiastes 3:1


The sermon at church today was about guilt.  About giving up our "baggage" of guilt.  The Bible is clear that guilt is not from God - the 130th Psalm says, "If you,  O Lord kept a record of sins, who could stand?" Such a sobering, humbling reality.  Yes, we are all human and yes, we all sin.  Even the heroes of the Bible do - and the Bible, filled with truth - clearly discusses all sides of these heroes.  The preacher mentioned the seasons of life in which each of these heroes, and ourselves are led, tempted, or run full speed ahead into - detouring from the "straight and narrow."  


This got me thinking about all the "seasons" of life that have brought me to where I am.  I have shameful seasons, of which I am fully able to accept God's forgiveness, but less willing to accept my own.  Today, the preacher said, "Jesus is very good at forgiving." So simple, but wow.  I am forgiven, and If I want to be like Jesus - I need to "get good" at forgiving.


I have seasons of life that were great for a time, but I have no desire to return or repeat. There are however; some seasons of life that I still miss, that I wasn't ready to move on, and would gladly go back any day, like my Senior year of college.


Right now I am transitioning away from a season of adventure, intense mental and spiritual stretching, and total dependence on God for basic needs.  I feel God calling me now, maybe for a season, or maybe for a lifetime, to live everyday with intentional quietness.  "Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife." - Proverbs 17:1 Maybe this season of my life will be to recoup for another adventure, or maybe I will stay in America and be content with listening and reading and praying.  Only God knows, until it is time for Him to tell me, I am waiting quietly.


It's cool to think that God wants us to be "seasoned" - He wants us to experience different things - each to refine us in a unique way.  God created seasons for our physical World, and so it makes sense that He is also orchestrating seasons in our spiritual lives.  He allows us, broken and weary from one season, to be fruitful, in another.  God is in control of all the seasons, weaving them in and out of our lives, all according to His plan.  I love how Daniel praises God, right after God has blessed him in prison, with the interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream.  


"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.  He changes times and seasons..." - Daniel 2:20


God put Daniel in prison for a reason, but only for a season.  What season of life is God leading you out of, or into now?