Due Season

I once worked with the daughter of a preacher. We had the best conversations. Once she told me about a sermon that her father preached. He explained to the congregation that people often forget about the fifth season. Intrigued, I questioned, “The fifth season?” Yes! She went on to explain that he was referring to Due season. The phrase stopped me in my tracks. I had never really thought about a fifth season and the anticipation and preparation needed for that season. I am very familiar with winter — cold, longing for warmth, difficulties, frigid times. I look forward to Springs, the renewal, growth and opportunity. With Fall there is foliage and summer brings sunshine, snow cones, beaches. Due season, such a foreign concept to me. It requires me to focus on the positivity of reaping what you sow. Hard work and diligence can pay off. Some days it doesn’t really seem like that’s a possibility. Some days it may seem like your vision board is nothing more than an array of outlandish dreams and foolish wishes. Too many obstacles and too many days have passed, the resolution that you made appears farther and farther away. Now it is just a glimmer. You look around and everyone is living their most spectacular, prosperous life — your friend just had a baby, your neighbor just got engaged, your cousin just bought his first house and your former co-worker just posted that she received a promotion and is relocating to Napa Valley. Everyone is doing so well, and you are just meandering through the mundane, trying to stay afloat, trying to remain upbeat. It’s hard when today is not your day and this season is not what you wanted. But press on. As the preacher said, due season is near. Look around, and smile for those that are in their best season. The sun will soon shine on you. Dust off your vision board and take a closer look. What were you able to achieve so far? There is something on there that you have completed or at least started. Something is better than nothing. Use whatever that is as a catalyst to continue. Keep looking up. Set a goal for the day, then one for the week. Treasure the small victories. Literally count your blessings. I try to do that when it seems as nothing is going my way. I pull out my little tattered journal and force myself to list a few things that I am thankful for — it never fails, I end up filling up the page and then thinking, “You have so much.” There is no need to play a game of comparison. We all have something that someone else would love to have. Someone else has something that we think we want. The grass is not always greener; we have no idea what trials someone else may be facing. Embrace your season, keep moving forward, help someone else, in turn it will bless you. We each carry a heavy load and we need someone to lighten it just a little bit. That is something that we can do for each other as we are on this journey. What we do while we wait reveals who we are. When things start going your way, recall the previous season and prepare for the next. And remember as the song says, “He might not come when you want him, but he will be there right on time. He is an on-time God.”