Seasons and times: Do not fear your coming season, nor be ashamed of the current one

The first son reported back: "Dad, just cut off this tree. It is ugly, has no leaves, it is very bare and adds no value." "Patience, my boy," the father reasoned, and beckoned him to sit as they waited for the other brothers to return.

The second son came back and said: "Let's hold on a minute. It has some promise. It is budding!" The father smiled and said the same thing: "Patience, my boy. Join us as we wait for your brothers."

The third son came and said: "The tree is very promising. I really enjoyed the shade it provided." "Good, my boy. Patience. Join us as we wait for your brother."

The fourth son came over holding something in his hand, his eyes bright. "Dad, brothers! Here is your favourite fruit." You can imagine the reaction in the room. They wondered if they were talking about the same tree. "Well done, my boy," the father said. "Come and join us. The cycle is complete."(Education News Kenya — https://educationnews.co.ke/news/seasons-and-times-do-not-fear-your-coming-season-nor-be-ashamed-of-the-current-one)

Ladies and gentlemen, this cycle is what we call seasons. The same tree was observed by different sons in four different seasons, and our own lives follow a similar cycle. Spring, summer, autumn and winter exchange their positions like a ceremonial handshake, so smoothly that before you know it, you are in another season.

The preacher says there is a time for everything: a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to fight, a time to make peace, a time to gather and a time to pull together. I can safely add a time to make losses and a time to make profit; a time to evaluate, to think and reflect, and to act; a time to be alone and a time to be with others; a time to give and a time to borrow. All this means one thing: do not be afraid of your coming season, do not be ashamed of your current season, and be hopeful of a better season.

The first son reported that the tree was ugly, bare and of no value. There are seasons of scarcity. We all agree that there are certain times in our lives when we feel, and visibly see, our lives, careers, relationships, businesses and everything else falling apart. Nothing seems to work. Friends and even family fail us, and sadly we even fail ourselves by doubting ourselves. This point in the cycle seems never to end. We feel we have been stuck for ages, with nothing to show for our labour and sweat. We seem to count only losses, pain and rejection.

This is a time to ignore messengers like the first son, who have nothing good to report. It is the time to say to ourselves: "It will get better. It is only for a season. The cycle is not yet complete. My dreams will be achieved. This setback is just a push forward. There is no pain without gain, and most importantly, this is my learning season." So we hold our heads up, for this is our scarcity season and not a definition of who we are. Hold on there.

The seasons of promise and work

The second son said the tree was budding. There are seasons of promise. The many emails you have sent start getting replies. You have just finished high school and passed your exams despite lacking school fees for the better part of your education. You have just graduated and are hopeful of a job, just gotten engaged and are waiting for marriage, waiting for a child, just opened a business, just been cured of a disease, or finally been set free from jail.

You can see things finally opening up, and your faith is renewed. This is a time to pray a lot and not reveal your plans to many people. Give thanksgiving prayers in anticipation that all will go better than you can imagine. It is the best time to reaffirm your real strengths and character, a season of peace of mind that things truly can get better. It is the season of faith.

The third son enjoyed the shade the tree provided. This is the season of working and actualising our dreams. Put in the work. Finish your projects, push to your limits, use your time and youth well, keep good company, build yourself up, evaluate your weaknesses and become a better person. This is the most crucial stage. It is the time to invest, save, expand and grow in all facets of our lives. The sun is out and shining; it is summer, and we must use our sunny days to prepare for our rainy days and days of scarcity. Life can be so unpredictable that a cushion is inevitable. It will not prevent life's shocks, but it will at the very least help absorb most of the shock as we rise again and go full cycle.

The fourth son came with the fruit, and this is the complete cycle. Here is where people can say they truly know us, from the fruits we produce after going full cycle. We are products of our losses, profits, good seasons and not-so-good seasons. Cumulatively, these make us complete.

It is therefore not safe to say you know someone until you have seen them in all seasons. Similarly, you can best define yourself after going through all the seasons life will give you. The good thing is that the cycle keeps repeating itself. The bad news is that the decisions we make in one season definitely affect the seasons to come. And that is life.