| Friday, September 02, 2005 |
| The Reason for the Seasons |
 It's almost official: summer's over. What a drag.
With the launching of exploding projectiles on the banks of the Ohio River this Sunday night [try not to lose an arm, BCoates], summer officially comes to a close in the Greater Cincinnati area. True, we're about to embark on my most favoritist season of them all- the one I long for. I love it when the weather turns a tad cooler, the leaves begin to change colors and football rules the land. Fall's a joyful thought indeed, but not even a phosphorous waterfall cascading from a bridge can keep my mind from dwelling on the artic season to come. Autumn seems to evaporate all too quickly as winter enters the fray. Before you know it, it's freaking cold outside, your nether regions begin to freeze over and you long for the warmth of the sun. Fortunately though, it doesn't stay cold forever. Eventually the trees will turn green again, you'll begin to thaw out, and you can sense summer coming once more.
Despite all my whining, I love changing seasons. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Most people feel differently. Some people despise the changing seasons so much that they try to eliminate them from the equation. Observe these Northerners that move south to coastal regions with tropical climate. They think they're besting the system until something like a hurricane disrupts their lives. Then they long to be back north.
As I wonder why God gave his changing seasons, I keep coming back to this sense of longing that's within us; this innate desire for something more. Maybe it's just me, but many times I can't wait for the future because there's the chance it could be way better than it is now. I tie myself into a Scarlet O'Hara philosophy that believes, "Tomorrow is another day". However much we enjoy this present reality, we're hoping [or longing] that what to come will be even better. Of course, what we fail to think is that it could be much worse. But whether it's the weather [nice word selection] or one's financial situation, few people are content with now; we're never fully satisfied.
So is this longing, this lack of contentment, God's way of showing us that there's something more than this world? Are the seasons just another way that God has imprinted His message on our hearts so we can figure out that He's there? It's this longing for more, this uneasiness that it's not all right down here, that should get us thinking about who's running this world [for those of you not clicking yet, it's God, not the other guy].
I'm not going to take the time to fully work through this thought, but I hope you're able to track what I'm saying here: as much as I hate the thought of it getting colder, it serves a purpose. It's yet another window by which we can observe God moving. I believe God is the answer to this longing in our lives. However crazy the world is, it makes the most sense through Him.
And, if anything, we get to wear sweaters in the winter, and that's pretty cool. So praise the Lord and bring me a turtleneck. I'm ready. |
yet another musing of steve-o @ 7:40:00 AM  |
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