The Seasonal Life

I was in my early twenties when a wise friend encouraged me to see life as a seasonal endeavor.That good advice was probably given to comfort in a difficult stretch of time. However, those words landed deep and have stayed with me since. They have been incorporated into the way I think about a day or span of time.  In the hard times, Im reminded that things won't stay this way forever. In the times I relish and want to hit "pause", Im encouraged to savor because I know, this too shall pass.

I've lived by this idea of "seasonal living" for quite a while and its been a helpful way of thinking. But, I've been discovering in recent years, that there is so much more to this simple idea that has such appeal and impact.

I grew up in a Christian home, but not in a tradition that followed a liturgy or paid any attention to the Church calendar. So, I had no idea what any of that was about. My guess is that the idea of "vain ritual" was to be avoided at all costs and, as is often the case, the baby went out with the bathwater. It took me a long time to come to terms with my longing for good and healthy ritual while realizing the messages from growing up made the word "ritual" feel like a bad one.

No, I'm a born celebrator. Im always looking for a reason to mark an occasion or make something special. I cant help it, it just comes out of me. Ive also been teased through the years that my favorite word is "intentional". I would say I like to move through the world in a thoughtful and intentional way.I spend time and money intentionally, I invest in relationships intentionally, you get the point.

So, as we starting raising our children, I realized I had this opportunity to create meaningful and defining celebrations for our family. This showed up in a variety of ways. From, how we do birthday's to what we eat the morning after Thanksgiving. All of those things are good and I do believe in small ways, they help shape our family identity. But, thanks in part to my dear friend Amy, I realized my longing for meaningful celebration was really rooted in my longing for more of God.

I was intrigued and began reading about the Christian calendar. I started paying attention to the different seasons and my hearts response to the suggested topics and focus. I felt something come alive in me, like things were aligning and my making sense. I felt anchored in something significant.

Celebrating the church calendar constantly points me to the gospel and what it means for me in the day to day. Different seasons take on a flavor or a focus that cause me to think differently, or search, or wait or repent or celebrate. And, I love best, that these roots go much deeper than the fun little traditions I've created for our family on a whim. These traditions connect me (and us) to this amazing, ancient, God orchestrated marking of time. In fact, we are reading through the Bible over the next two years and I was struck like lightening by a verse I've read dozens and dozens of times.

Genesis 1:14 "And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years". Reading this only encouraged me on this journey to discover the rich and full life of a believer walking with Jesus through each day, week, month, season and year. I want to do that well, to invite my children into God's greater story and to celebrate with deeply rooted joy. This feels like living intentionally at its best. 

Im reminded of Annie Dillard's quote "how we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives". My dear friend Steph has this hanging on her wall and I should probably look at it every day too. 

I'm thankful it's a journey and not something I have to completely sort before I can enjoy the experience. On that note, here's my favorite translation from Matthew11:28-30 (the Message)

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

So, Im stepping in. I desire to engage in celebrating as we move through the church calendar in concrete and tangible ways. These experiences, practices and rituals only aid the inner work.

For further reading on family identity, here is an interesting article from the New York Times. 

Enjoy!