S is for SEASONS

Early this morning, the sky was clear blue with a beautiful shimmering redness just above the horizon. Across its expanse was a criss-cross pattern of trails left by moving aeroplanes, that turned from fluffy white to soft red as they passed beyond the view of the naked eye. The grass had a silvery glaze covering and my car windscreen was covered by a thin, hardened film of water telling me that the season was changing and that there would be many more such mornings in the weeks ahead. I had already begun to noticed other changes too before this more dramatic shift. The grass, once requiring mowing every six or seven days had not noticeably grown much even after two weeks, leaves were hiding the tarmac on the driveway, the central heating was creeping on for most of each evening and darkness was invading earlier in the day. It occurred to me that maybe we live our lives more by the seasons than by months for I can recall the time of year when many things happened but I can't remember the exact date. Also I find myself tending to group things that happen according to the season. For example, apples, harvest services, Hallowe'en, fireworks, a final garden tidy are all autumn things whereas Christmas, snow, carol services, new year, are reserved for winter. Then, Easter, flowers, animals back in the fields, fertilizer and seed sowing happen in spring while holidays, sports day, lawn cutting, barbecues, tennis and hay making appear in the summer.


At home the back door was rarely closed during the summer and, unless Wimbledon was on the box, mum and dad were outside most of the time, painting or tidying or, in their later years, just sitting on a couple of chairs, enjoying the fresh air and viewing the countryside. But in autumn and winter the door was firmly shut, the curtains pulled and everybody settled in the kitchen for the evening centred around whatever was on TV or in the local newspaper. We also had a ring board fastened against one wall and often would have a game of 'rings' before the late evening news on an autumn or winter night. The board had about eight or ten hooks, behind each of which was a number. The object was to throw a thin rubber ring on to a hook and so score some points. I remember dad always threw his three rings from wherever he was sitting or lying and he rarely was beaten. A variation was to throw the rings on to the floor that had a pattern of small blue and red tiles. If a ring was not completely on one tile, no points were scored and it took considerable skill to float a ring, with the right amount of pace so that it came to lie where it was intended. It's funny, but the rings rarely saw the light of day the rest of the year.


Football happened in all seasons, before or after dark and meal times were pretty consistent too. Dad liked his dinner at exactly a quarter to twelve and tea sometime around four thirty in the afternoon. I think that's was because, he started pretty early in the morning and of course, that also allowed him to fit in supper before bedtime. Church was pretty routine all year and Sunday dinner never really veered off roast beef or chicken, regardless of the temperature outside.
I've never stopped to consider which season is my favourite. Obviously the summer has its advantages, with the long holidays, hopefully warm weather and the chance to relax outside late into an evening, but it also seems to be the time of year when most things need to be done around the home. Spring is always eagerly anticipated because it's the time when most people seem to emerge from their winter hibernation and when the air is filled with birds singing and the field s with farmers working but the birds often leave their mark on our conservatory, the lawn mower, lying idle all winter won't start and for most years of my school and university life, it meant that the exams were getting closer.


By autumn, work's routines are well bedded in, the night sky is clear and often lit up by fireworks, trees are a myriad of beautiful shades but windy nights, cold mornings, and wet fields are always around the corner. And even though a crisp winter walk in the snow, Christmas, school concerts, new year and resolutions all play their part, the countryside is barren, the days are so short and we're not even half way though the school year! Still, when I talk to my friend in Australia and he tells me that all their seasons merge into one long summer, I realize that I'm pretty fortunate to be able to enjoy what each brings to my life.
Jesus created the seasons for our pleasure and during the year, we remember Him at Harvest time, Christmas time and Easter time, but we don't really have such a celebration during the summer. You know it's important to remember more than just His birth, death and the good things He gives to us, for He's there for us in all seasons, hot and cold, dry and wet, happy days and sad days, at work and on holidays. It's an all year round experience with Jesus and He's more than just the reason for the season. And whether you are in the spring, summer , autumn or winter of your life, there's never a wrong time to have His friendship. Sprinkle a little season to your life!