A Time For Everything

I started this post yesterday, but wasn't able to finish it.  So, now it's "tomorrow", and I didn't just get home from DaySpring, as indicated below.  Instead, it's a fresh new day, and I should be getting the laundry done instead of sitting here blogging.  So, now it's back to the stuff of life I must get done--a time for doing the laundry.
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Another day of service is finished at DaySpring Assisted Living. I always come home tired but happy. I so deeply enjoy spending days there (twice a week)! When I get home it's time to start dinner preparation, but instead I sit down with a diet Coke (over lots of ice), and just kick back until Larry gets home. And, as I relax with my cold drink, I unwind and reflect on my day.
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Now, as I sit here looking through my blog, I am noticing various aspects of it that I chose when I designed it, and it occurs to me that it really does depict my life and my heart--not only in the personal pictures that I've displayed, but even in the choices I made for the background of my blog.
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First, I note that the picture I chose for the heading "reflects" fun and special lighting.  Having fun with life is important to me.  It helps so much to balance out the yucky side of life.  I have always been attracted to special lighting--it moves me in a powerful way!  I try to fill my surroundings with as much light as I can let in, and spiritually speaking, Jesus is truly the light of my life.  Just as reflection is plainly seen in the picture, I want my life to reflect the light and love of Jesus.
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Next, I notice the scripture placed directly below the big picture.  I deliberately choose scripture, the very word of God, to be the guide for how I live my life.  I see it as the only true and reliable basis for surviving and enjoying life in a very broken world.
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Then, off to the side is the picture of downtown Dallas.  That picture represents our many moves to a new place to live, which we (my husband and me) believe are directed by God.  He shows us; we trust and follow His leading; and He adds His blessing every time!  This move to Texas has been no exception to that pattern.
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The flower pictures that line the right border represent all the beauty that God continually brings along life's journey.  He planned and created a beautiful world.  Flawed human beings messed it up, but God continually produces new growth and beauty as we give our lives to Him in full surrender, like a seed must be buried in the ground before new life can bloom.
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The picture of my husband and me represents the bonding and blending that happens only in choosing to love, honor, and grow together in a committed partnership.
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The great variety of pictures displayed throughout the entire blog illustrate the great variety of life experiences--happiness, sadness, fun, sickness, adventure, trials, change, growth, etc., that are all part of life's journey.
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When you scroll to the bottom of the blog, you realize that it's been a journey through the desert!  What a contrast to the picture at the top of the blog!  Life is full of contrasts--good and bad, fun and sad, easy and hard . . . it changes constantly!  Yet, in the midst of it all, there can be peace and joy.   The desert experiences can draw us close to God or cause us to pull away from God. It's really a choice that God leaves up to us. Springs of water can dry up, but even a desert can bloom!
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Notice the bus in the picture of the desert journey . . .
We are not in this journey alone.  We travel in community with others who are experiencing the same kinds of things we go through, and they understand a lot more than we give them credit for.  Sure, we may have different circumstances, but we can find commonality in the journey, and we  can help each other along the way.
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In the times of life when you are discouraged and depressed, stay close to God for your comfort and renewal, and reach out to others for support and encouragement. 
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In the times of life when you are feeling good and doing well, when you are enjoying the abundance of "life is good", stay close to God, continually being refreshed, so that you can reach out to others who are experiencing discouragement and depression, and share with them the encouragement and support you have also received.
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Life is a cycle and there is a time for everything.  Bloom where you are planted, and nourish those who need a boost.  When you wilt, let others nourish you.  But, no matter what season of life you are in, no matter what condition your heart is in, draw close to God.  Lean on Him; stay in contact with Him; keep on believing in Him; keep on keeping on--no matter what!
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Remember:  There is a time for everything,
 and God makes everything beautiful in His time.
"There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
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God has made everything beautiful for its own time.
He has planted eternity in the human heart
but, even so, people cannot see the whole scope
of God's work from beginning to end."

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11)