Finding Purpose in Every Season

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

We all go through seasons. Ecclesiastes tells us there are joys and challenges in every season. As seasons of our lives progress, we learn lessons. Sometimes, I find myself mourning the season’s losses more than its gifts. I can easily become frustrated when I reach seasons or ages when I can’t do what I used to do. Then I began to see how this focus started affecting my outlook, my abilities, and even my relationships.

Every winter, we visit family at the beach. I love walking along the shore. The sand is scattered with washed-up shells. My walks are slower as I search for that perfect treasure. Whelks are favorites of mine! They resemble conch shells but are much smaller. Some shells stay in great shape. Some become homes for hermit crabs. Others break apart in the waves.

It’s rare to find a whelk that hasn’t been worn away by water. Yet, it’s surprising what survives. Sometimes, only the beautiful top remains; other times, it’s the fine, pointed bottom. When that happens, I can only imagine the original shell. Most of the time, all that’s left is the inside coil.

Sorting through the shells, I began to see that every stage, even the broken ones, holds beauty. Just as artists create sculptures from broken whelks, God can transform our difficult seasons into something meaningful. What looks like an ending can become part of a larger design, revealing beauty at every stage of life.

It is important to approach new seasons not from a sense of lacking, but with gratitude. While it’s natural to mourn losses, intentionally focusing on the positives allows us to notice the new gifts each season can offer.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, You’ve actually created our minds with neuroplasticity so that, if we look at our seasons through the eyes of abundance rather than deficit, we will grow in positive ways. Lord, for those of us who are mourning losses, bring to mind things we can see and be grateful for. Your presence is with every single person, no matter what they’re going through. It doesn’t mean we ignore the losses, but it does mean we don’t wallow in them. There are gifts you bring to us even in the darkest moments. Amen.