Fillyloo Follies: There is a season.... (Issue #4 09/27/2021)

There is a season….

Scripture talks about the seasons of life often. I think the most well known scripture is Ecclesiastes 3:1-22. You know the one…The Byrds even sang about it….

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;… (ESV translation)

As for me, I just came out of a season of crazy, overwhelming busyness. I don’t know about you, but this past year has been exhausting. I don’t think I’ve been so tired since I ran my first marathon. (Yep. You read that right. First. There have been others, but that is a different story for a different day.) It has been quite some time (over a year) since we have met here in the comforting space of the written word. I’ve missed you, my friend, and I apologize for my absence. Full transparency? I just didn’t have it in me to write. Craziness! I can hardly believe it myself, since writing is a thing that brings me so much joy.

I think it is important to acknowledge and be honest when we just don’t have any more to give. How often do we try to hide it? How often are we shamed for having nothing left? How often do we compare ourselves to those who seem to always have more to give? The hustle is glorified, but scripture teaches the opposite. This is most apparent in the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). I relate to Martha. She was a get stuff done kind of woman. She was also a distracted and anxious woman.

When last we met, God had me contemplating what it really means to love. Leave it to the Almighty to guide me through His Word to teach me about love, so He can teach me about rest. God doesn’t just hint at the importance of these two concepts. He flat out commands us to do both (Matthew 11:28-30 and Matthew 22:37-39). Jesus doesn’t mince words. That is one of the reasons I like Him so much. I find it interesting the rest part comes before the love part in this example. Again, only God could guide me in such a way to see a connection between rest and love. We can’t possibly love God or anyone else fully if we are weary and burdened. No wonder Jesus told us to give Him our junk and take a nap.

So here I am. Learning to be un-busy. I still have no idea what that actually means, but God is guiding me every step of the way.