A thought about Spring

I was enjoying the warmth of our late afternoon yesterday, and my mind reflected on a dramatic presentation that Bro. David Norris gave concerning the seasons of life at the 2007 Illinois District Campmeeting.

I am going to run with the concept on my own.

Psalms 90:10 reads, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years...

I am going to assume that most people are going to live to be nearly 80 years old. I do this for ease of division into a life consisting of four seasons. According to my calculations, that gives us twenty years per season of life. Each one is unique and brings with it its own challenges, turmoils, and troubles.

 The overall pattern is the same, however each individual is as unique as any given year. For some the seasons will start or end earlier. Not all have the same experiences. Some winters are colder, other springs warmer, or fall may seem like a second summer. But everyone begins with Spring. And this is where my thought begins.

This would be the first twenty years or so. This is when all most of the learning is done. The fulness of growth has yet to be reached, and the full attaining of strength and ability is as yet only potential. The greatest advances are actually made in the first two or three years of life in a child. This is the time when they learn to crawl, stand, walk, run, talk, and eventually engage in communication.

The next several years are spent exploring the world around them. It is at this time they start understanding the full ramifications of cause and effect. They learn that the world is not fair, and not everything will go their way. They have little concept of danger, and so do things that (having lived through the same things) an adult would not.

This is the time when thoughts, opinions, beliefs, behaviors, dispositions, and morals are taught. Their experiences during this time will permanently mark them in ways that only later reveal their nature. This is why the Bible states that parents should raise their children in the right ways.

The storms that blow through the life as they hit late childhood and early teen years are often the 'roughest' that they will face. This is because along with being a time of growth and progress, this is also a time of very intense change. Perhaps the greatest changes in life are during the first twenty years. This creates chaos and confusion for the young person. However, for many as they emergence from their late teens, the storms and chaos ease and though transitions remain, they are now equipped a bit better to handle it.

This is the time when most people will choose to either walk with God or leave the church. Studies have often shown that by the time a person has reached the end of high school, it is obvious which direction that they are trending. This does not mean that all is without hope, but it is far more difficult from this point on.

This is often the time when preachers are called and their training begins. Most preachers receive their calling between the ages of 10-20, although this is not true for all, and some may run from it for years before yielding. good habits in the study of Scripture and doing the work of God plant the seeds for a lifetime of service.

This is the time when success or failure is planted. The care that is taken in the spring planting will be shown in the harvest. If a parent is not careful by their example, the children may be lost. Good teaching during this period is key.