SEASONS AND SEASONINGS

I have this organic seasoning I use called, "Herbamare".  It is comprised of sea salt, celery leaves, leek, watercress, onion, chive, parsley, lovage, garlic, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and kelp.  Sounds strange, like it just couldn't or shouldn't be even remotely good.  But, it is.  It is marvelous,  flavorful, and perfect for the right dish added at just the right time.  My brother-in-law and sister were over tonight to help me narrow down my paint combinations for my living room and dining room.  My sister was stretched out in my trendy little leaf upholstered recliner where it was taking all the remaining energy she had to just be there.  She's been sick with bronchitis and working more hours over the last month than her normal work schedule.  She commented that she is too tired to exercise and feels "doughy" from not doing it.  Between finishing out a temporarily long work month and then getting sick, she has not been able to have the motivation needed to conquer her waning energy level.   I love what her husband lovingly said to her, "Just let it be for now.  It's not the season."   It's not the season.  I thought about those words and meandered mentally through my life and its seasons.  Oh the seasons I have had in my living.  Seasons of young children and raising them while wanting to do things that held passion and creativity but knowing now was not the season to do that.  To just let it be.  Seasons of illness that stretched on for years - wanting it to end but having to to just let it be till it left like it came, on its own.   Seasons of jobs and geographic locations - some of which I hated and some of which I loved.  Seasons of drive, energy, accomplishment, forward movement.  Seasons of seemingly treading water just surviving.  Seasons of disharmony with my ex husband that came and went with different levels of intensity, pain and realization but were always there on some level.  Seasons of trying harder, buying into the philosophy of doing the right thing brings right results.   Seasons of sweet times of pleasure.  Seasons of friendships purposed just for then, for where I was.  Seasons of epiphany and great clarity about myself, about God and about marriage.  Seasons of courage mixed with deep heartache in realization of choices in my past, where they took me and what I needed to do to live differently with purpose, design and passion.  Seasons of releasing what I thought was truth to really find truth, to go on a quest.  Seasons of forgiveness and moving on.  Just like real weather seasons, there is a progression in our lives.  Ecclesiastes is correct - there is a time and a season for every activity under heaven.  I am either just letting it be or moving to the next season.  How to know which to do is the key.  Just like the natural seasons, I have to look at the signs around me.