There is a song by The Byrds from 1965 called Turn! Turn! Turn! That reminds us there is a season for everything in life.
The words come from Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 NIV, which begins:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
The passage goes on to remind us that there is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.
Every season is important. Every season brings its own purpose.
I love taking walks in the crisp fall air. I find myself dazzled by the amazing colors of the leaves falling from the trees. Yes, I am one of those people who stops to pick up beautiful leaves and carries them home, only to watch them dry up and curl on my table.
Living in Cincinnati, we get to experience all four seasons, and I love that. Each one brings something different. The sun, rain, wind, and changing temperatures all play a role in how things grow, flourish, rest, and even die.
I don't understand all the science behind it, but I do know that every season plays an important role in keeping our ecosystem functioning.
I think the same is true for the seasons of our lives.
Some seasons are full of beauty, growth, and excitement. Others are quieter, harder, and sometimes downright painful. As I get older and have the ability to look back, I can see how each season has shaped my growth, my character, and my faith.
This past year has been a particularly hard one for my husband and me. About a year ago, he was diagnosed with cancer, and we have spent much of the year navigating surgeries, treatments, and the journey back to whatever our new normal looks like.
It has been overwhelming at times. There have been moments of fear, exhaustion, uncertainty, and plenty of questions.
But through it all, I have learned something I want to pass along to you.
There is gratitude to be found in every season of life.
You might be thinking:
WHY should I be grateful when life is so hard?
HOW can I possibly find gratitude when everything feels overwhelming?
WHERE would I even begin?
I'm glad you asked.
Let's use the four seasons as a way to explore how we can build a practice of gratitude that keeps hope alive in our hearts, no matter what life brings.
C'mon, let's walk through this together!
Winter: Finding Gratitude in the Darkness
There are seasons of life when we simply cannot see things in a good light.
We feel alone. We wonder if God has left the building. We struggle with fear, worry, anger, or even despair.
Maybe you've lost someone you love. Maybe you or someone in your family is battling an illness. Maybe you're walking through an incredibly difficult season with your children. Or perhaps you're in that sandwich season of life, trying to care for aging parents while still meeting the needs of your family, and you have absolutely nothing left to give.
For me, this season of watching my husband fight through cancer was so hard to bear. I could do nothing to fix it and certainly had my moments of worrying about my future and if he would still be in it. It can be very isolating to be the caregiver and hard to know what you need to even ask for it. Those moments were hard to find hope in.
In these seasons, the hard things can become so overwhelming that they overshadow everything else.
It takes intentional effort to see the good.
But what if, even in the darkest seasons, we could find little glimpses of hope?
I believe we can.
And one way to begin is by focusing on gratitude.
I have discovered that during some of my hardest moments, even on nights when sleep wouldn't come, intentionally thinking about what I was grateful for helped reframe my perspective.
It didn't make the problems disappear. It didn't change the diagnosis or take away the uncertainty.
But it changed what I was focusing on.
A friend had given me a gratitude journal during an earlier difficult season. This past year, I found it and decided to start using it again.
The journal had simple prompts to help me reflect on what I was thankful for each day. At first, I did it because I needed some structure to help me see the good in the middle of the hard.
But something interesting happened.
After several weeks, it became easier. I actually looked forward to writing in it. Before long, I had more things to be thankful for than there was room on the page!
As I looked back over those entries, I began to recognize how many wonderful things were happening right in the middle of some really difficult circumstances.
I was collecting gratitude. And little by little, I was finding hope.
Here are a few entries from my journal during that winter season:
“I'm grateful my mom got through the anniversary of my dad's death.”
“I'm grateful for pain medicine to ease and comfort my husband through his treatment.”
“I'm grateful for our friends who provided meals and checked on us to make sure we were doing okay.”
None of those things erased the difficulties we were facing. But each one reminded me that God was still present and providing for us.
Gratitude doesn't require us to ignore the darkness. Sometimes it simply helps us find the light in the middle of it.
Spring: Gratitude for New Beginnings
Ah, spring!
After a long winter, there is something wonderful about watching the world come back to life.
The temperatures begin to warm, the trees start budding, and green slowly returns to the landscape. Everything feels fresh and full of possibility.
Spring reminds us that new things can grow, even after a long season of waiting.
Maybe you're in a spring season of life right now.
Perhaps you've started a new job, entered a new relationship, moved to a new city, or discovered a new sense of purpose.
Maybe you've just come through something difficult, and for the first time in a long time, you're beginning to feel hopeful again.
There is something exciting about new beginnings.
But even in these seasons, it's important to pause and recognize the blessings around us.
Here are a few entries from my gratitude journal that remind me of spring:
“Thank you for our daughter's safe flight to see us.”
“Thank you for the new friendship you have blessed me with.”
“Thank you for the sleep, for a warm bed and for someone to sleep next to.”
“Thank you for this new company that I was able to work with. For the means and guidance to get to this point.”
Sometimes the things we are most grateful for aren't big, life-changing moments.
Sometimes they're simply the everyday reminders that life is good and God is faithful.
Spring reminds us to recognize and celebrate the new things God is growing in our lives.
Summer: Remembering Gratitude in the Good Times
Summer and fun seem to go hand in hand, don't they?
The sunshine, lush green grass, colorful flowers, and long days seem to invite us to get outside and enjoy life.
For many families, summer means vacations, time by the pool, and a break from the usual routines.
It is a season of activity, beauty, and joy.
And sometimes our lives feel like summer, too.
Maybe you're in the honeymoon phase of your marriage. Maybe your kids are thriving, your career is going well, or you finally have some breathing room after years of juggling everyone's schedules.
Maybe you've received a promotion, started an exciting project, or found yourself in a season where things just seem to be working out.
These seasons are wonderful!
But I've noticed something about the good seasons of life.
Sometimes, when everything is going well, we forget to stop and be grateful.
We get so caught up in enjoying the blessings that we forget to thank the One who gave them to us.
Gratitude isn't just something we need when life is hard. It is something we should practice when life is wonderful, too.
Here are a few entries from my summer journal:
“I am so grateful for the beauty of creation and the ability to garden. Thank you God for including me in the growth of these plants. Please make my tomatoes grow too.”
“Thank you for the ability to read great books and a pool to enjoy them by.”
“I am grateful for the financial provision to make a living and paint our house.”
“Thank you for the love of my husband.”
Yes, I really did pray for my tomatoes! AND God blessed them.
I love looking back at these entries because they remind me that gratitude doesn't have to be complicated or profound.
Sometimes it's simply noticing the goodness in our everyday lives.
Summer reminds us not to take the good seasons for granted.
Fall: Gratitude in Seasons of Change
Fall is one of my favorite seasons, but it also reminds me that change is inevitable.
The leaves turn beautiful colors, but eventually they fall. The flowers fade. The days grow shorter. Things begin to slow down.
What once looked full of life begins to change.
And isn't that true of our lives?
Sometimes we find ourselves in seasons where something is ending, and we're not quite sure what comes next.
Maybe you've experienced a job loss. Maybe you've retired from a career that gave you a strong sense of identity. Maybe a relationship has changed, or the life you thought you would have looks very different from what you expected.
Perhaps you're entering the empty-nest season.
You spent years raising your children, caring for them, driving them everywhere, and building your life around their needs. And suddenly, they're gone.
You miss them. You miss the activity. You may even miss the chaos!
Now you're supposed to figure out what you want to do with your time.
What does that even mean, right?
These seasons can be uncomfortable.
They require us to adjust, change patterns, and sometimes discover new parts of ourselves.
And frankly, that takes energy we don't always feel like we have.
But I've started to see fall a little differently.
What if the ending of one season is actually making room for something new?
Just as the trees release their leaves to prepare for another season of growth, perhaps there are things in our lives we need to release, too.
That doesn't mean we have to love every change or pretend that endings aren't painful.
But it does mean we can look for what God might be doing in the middle of them.
Here are a few entries from my fall journal:
“Thank you for all the memories you have given me of time with our kids. For the way you have grown them into amazing adults.”
“Thank you for providing income for me for all these years and for giving me savings I can draw from in this season without a job.”
“I am grateful for the great health I have had all these years. Please be with me as I navigate this new diagnosis to care for the body you gave me.”
Those entries remind me that even when life changes in ways we didn't choose, there are still things worth being thankful for.
Fall reminds us that gratitude can help us release what was while remaining hopeful for what is ahead.
How to Begin Practicing Gratitude
So, where do you begin?
The good news is that you don't need a complicated plan or a perfect journal. You just need a willingness to start noticing the good around you.
Here are five simple steps:
Find a place to record your gratitude. Buy a journal, use a notebook, or even create a note on your phone. It doesn't have to be fancy.
Choose a rhythm that works for you. Maybe it's every morning, before bed, or a few times a week. The important thing is to find something you can consistently do.
Start writing down what you're grateful for. Big things, small things, everyday things. Nothing is too insignificant to include.
Take time to look back. Once a month or every few months, read through your entries. You might be surprised by how much goodness you've experienced and how God has been at work in your life.
Keep going! Gratitude is a practice. The more you look for it, the more you begin to notice it.
Every Season Has Something to Offer
If there is one thing I've learned this past year, it's that I don't get to choose every season of my life.
I certainly wouldn't have chosen the challenges my husband and I have walked through. And I know there will be other seasons ahead that bring unexpected joys and difficulties.
But I do get to choose where I place my focus.
I can focus only on what is going wrong, what I've lost, or what I wish were different.
Or I can begin looking for the ways God is still showing up, providing, and reminding me of His goodness.
Sometimes gratitude comes easily. Other times, it takes every bit of intentional effort I can muster.
And that's okay.
Being grateful doesn't mean everything is good. It means recognizing that there can still be good in everything we're walking through.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall. Every season has something to teach us. Every season has something to offer.
And every season gives us an opportunity to find gratitude.
So let me ask you:
What season of life are you in right now? And what is one thing you can be grateful for today?
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