Life's Seasons

I turned 25 this weekend, and for the past month it has made me think a lot about time. I had a literature teacher in seventh grade who was very into metaphors and similes, her favorite being about life’s seasons. In the beginning of life, you are in the very start of spring, still cold and barely peeking up over the ground where you are planted, then you transition through the rest of the seasons until you get to run into God’s arms. 

Kyler O'Connor

Twenty-five, a quarter of a century, marks a season change. I am not in spring anymore; now I must transition into early summer. You know, the right-now part of the year where there is a lot of sudden rain, but sunshine for five minutes, and then hail (start praying for me!). Beyond the weird weather at the start, summer still has growth, like spring, but it is the time where the newness of growing fades, and growth starts to look more like tiny little fruits starting to grow on vines and branches. Then, autumn transitions into the most beautiful colors, and winter holds a lot of reflection and warmth despite the cold surroundings.

What does bearing fruit in life look like?
    
There is no perfect path in life, as much as society likes to try to push their idea of some sort of perfectly posed picture: God made us all different from one another. Some people thrive in college or trade careers, some people are just as successful on their own. Some people define that success monetarily, and some define it as generally enjoying what they are doing and not having as high of a stress level. Some people are married in their twenties, some in their thirties, and some are Paul’s blessed singles. Some people have kids, and some choose not to. Kids are a blessing to their family, just as people without kids are able to bless people in different ways that they would not have been able to if they had children. Dogs to cats, houses to apartments, and apples to lychees or peaches: God gave us all unique places to grow and show fruit in life. None are better than any of the others; God made you with your own combination!

What does bearing fruit according to the Bible look like?

Most people are familiar with Galatians 5:22-23: the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Right before that in verse 14, a reminder about, “loving your neighbor as if they were another self,” also shows your fruit. Having gratitude and thanking God for what He has and has not given you is also important. I also think that blessing those around you is another important fruit!

Take a look at your fruit this week, and reflect a bit. Is it growing? Blessing others? Then, thank God for it, no matter what it looks like, or even if it is different from what you expected!

In His Name,
​Kyler

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