Thought for the week

THANK goodness for the four seasons. They might be a bit muddled these days with heatwaves in November and storms in high summer, but seasons are such a vital part of British life. And we love to talk about them.

Which is your favourite? It’s nice to be able to rely on the seasonal changes and know very soon we’ll be wrapping up in chunky knitwear.

But seasons apply just as much to the times of our lives as they do to the weather forecast.

Whatever age we are, whatever time of life, our experience comes in seasons.

In the good times, when things are going well, we can enjoy the warmth and turn our face to the sun.

But just as quickly as the temperatures drop, we’ll need to wrap ourselves against the biting cold and protect our loved ones from adverse times.

Seasons of life are even less predictable than the weather. Who knows what joys or sorrows are around the corner? Who knows how long a difficult season will last, or what its outcome will be?

It’s often during the hard seasons that we seek a safe place. We search for something to hold on to, to protect us and to keep us steady. We need consistency and promises we can trust. We need an anchor that holds through the storm.

Who in our life can we say is “the same yesterday, today and forever”?

The Bible speaks this of Jesus Christ. Who can we say is “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul”? The Eternal God of the Bible is the only One who can be this for us.

Barry Bond