A Parable of the Seasons of a Man
A man set out early on the road to his work,
and his heart was heavy within him.
For many seasons he had stood at the fields of play,
cheering for his daughter,
rejoicing in her victories,
and carrying the weight of each game.
And when those seasons ended,
he said in his heart,
“My place is gone,
and my joy has departed from me.”
And his spirit grew weary.
But as he journeyed, he considered these things,
and said within himself,
“Was my joy only in my own child?
Was my place only in what was mine?”
Then he remembered his other daughters of the field,
and the fathers who had stood beside him in seasons past.
And he said,
“Behold, the field is not empty,
and the fellowship has not ceased.
I may yet stand among them,
and my voice may still be heard.”
And understanding came upon him,
and his heart was lifted.
Then he said,
“The season of my house has changed,
but the gift of the field remains.
For what was given to me
was not only a daughter to cheer,
but a people to love,
a game to share,
and a place to belong.”
So the man returned with gladness,
and he vowed to stand once more among the others—
not as one who had lost his place,
but as one who had been given a greater one.
And this is the lesson:
The Lord appoints seasons,
and He appoints also the fields
in which a man shall stand.
And when one season passes,
it is not the end of his purpose,
but the widening of it.
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:11