In Ecclesiastes 3, we are told that for everything there is a season. There are seasons of life that we love and seasons that we can’t wait to get finished with. While we wait for the next transition, the waiting is often the most difficult aspect of our situation. In our humanness we wonder what God is doing, why it’s taking so long and when He’ll be finished and life will be better. At least, that’s what I wonder.
So what does God say about this.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven {v.1}: everything has a purpose under heaven. God has ordained a season for each part of our life. 
A time to be born: at some point we were all born from our mother’s womb.
A time to die: one day we will all die. You’ve heard the old saying the only two certainties in life are death and taxes.
A time to plant: in all of the waiting, we may be planting and sewing seeds.
A time to pluck up that which is planted {v.2}—eventually we will reap what we have planted.
A time to kill—we could take this literally, but it also can mean to end the things that aren’t good for us. This could be a relationship, friendship, job situation or even selling a house. Are there things in your life that are bringing you down or need to be left behind?
A time to heal—sometimes we just need to heal and work through the process of what we’ve dealt with. This can be anything from a divorce, to losing a job, to damaged friendship or a sickness.
A time to break down—I’ve discovered the hard way that sometimes God needs to break us or situations in our lives to get us to the point we need to be so that he can build us back up.
A time to build up {v.3}—once we’ve been broken, God wants to build us back up. He wants to set us on the path He has in stores for us.
A time to weep—weeping is good for the soul, it releases the pent up emotions we keep buried. I often cry easily, while I have family members that seldom cry. I’m not saying one is right or wrong, I just know that I feel cleansed after a good cry.
A time to laugh—laughter is good for the body. After her heart attack, a friend had her doctor prescribe for her to laugh each day. We all need to laugh more {at least I know I do}.
A time to mourn—we will all mourn at some point, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a friendship, a job, a relationship, our dream house, our independence or the pain over decisions our children are making there will be a point at which we mourn.
A time to dance {v.4}—God wants us to be joyful and to express our joy. King David danced before God in the Old Testament. Would you be willing to dance before God?
A time to cast stones—no one wants to have stones cast at them. Sometimes we watch the media and are so thankful that we are not the one that has made a major mistake broadcast around the nation or world. Also, this could go back to the passage that says, “we reap what we sew.” We could be casting out stones for a new job, to build a house, buy a car, etc.
A time to gather stones—often we want to call people out on something they’ve done wrong. Just as we do not want to have stones cast on us, we need to tread carefully when we are gathering stones. We need to check our facts, search our hearts and pray before accusing or confronting another individual. Gathering stones also relates to showing passion or affection for people and events in our lives.
A time to embrace—there are moments when life gets difficult and we just need a hug and the reassurance that everything will be alright. As stated above, at times we need to just accept that we are going through and that it cannot be changed at the moment.
A time to refrain from embracing {v. 5}—there are other situations when it is best to refrain from embracing someone, no matter how much comfort you long to provide.
What season of life are you in right now? What seasons have you struggled with?
Next week: Ecclesiastes 3: 6-10
Tweetables:
For Everything There Is a Season
Probing the Seasons of Life mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3
