Saturday, September 27, 2008

Lord, Make Me a Good Steward of Now

This week I went with a friend to her ultrasound appointment. There had been slight concern and she was just getting everything checked out. As we were waiting in the room for the doctor I realized that this would be my first ultrasound with a living baby. This also happened to be very near the one-year mark of my own miscarriage, so I felt a little emotional as it was, and I was hoping and praying everything was OK with this baby.

As soon as we saw the heartbeat on the monitor I began to weep. Tears were streaming down my face and I just got all blubbery. I knew I might cry a little, but my emotions just flooded down my face. I was so thankful the baby was healthy, and to see the heartbeat of a tiny, tiny baby really is a miracle. I'm sure there was some element of me remembering my own single ultrasound when the screen was turned away from me and there was no heartbeat, and thus no joy in the moment.

So, the rest of the day I continued to feel extra emotional. Michael always knows just how to respond to me. We were reading our devotions together, and the chapter was called "Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter." The basic idea is predictable, that each season has different purposes. During the Spring we plant seeds. We are full of hope and anticipation. Spring is important because what happens in this season affects the rest of the year. Summer can be long and tests our perseverance. Fall is when we reap our harvests. This is when we receive blessings that we hoped for during the Springtime. Winter is a time to slow down and reflect on the previous three seasons. It's a time of rejuvenation.

The part that has been on my mind all week was in the prayer that followed:

Father God...May we realize that we must be good stewards of our seasons.

This is my prayer this week, that I may be a good steward of this season of my life. To be diligent and focused and to realize that I cannot skip ahead to the next season, but rather must wait patiently and be intentional in this one.

The final question: In which season of life do you find yourself in?

No comments: