“To Everything There is a Season”

You’ve likely heard the saying quoted in the title or you’ve heard a phrase with a similar meaning.

If you’re not sure where the above phrase originated, it comes from Ecclesiastes 3:1. The verse states, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:“

When we’re young, we’re taught numbers, the alphabet, months of the year, days of the week, and the seasons- you know spring, summer, winter, fall. We’re also taught the “typical” weather conditions of those seasons (which apply more arbitrarily to the southeast). Even though having a “typical” season is rare, there are still many defining factors of each season that requires preparation in our line of work.

For instance, winter is typically the hardest months for us to log due to wet conditions mixed with cooler temperatures. Wet soils do not dry as fast in the winter, which makes it harder or impossible for us to remove cedars for logging during those times. We often have to wait longer periods after rainfall before resuming in order to not disrupt the soil- since disrupting the soil is the antithesis of our goal with prairie restoration logging.

During the summer, the drier, hotter conditions mean that we cannot run the skid steer all day because the machine will begin running too hot. A hot machine can equal a burnt machine. And sometimes even if you stop work early to avoid the machine getting hot, it still happens. Trust us, we sadly know.

Our first burnt machine. Thankfully, Hunter was not in it.

But there’s other seasonal and timely factors with prairie restoration that have to be considered. For example, there’s better times to spray for invasive species than others. As the second part of Ecclesiastes 3:1 states, there’s “a time for every matter under heaven.” There’s certain applications that need to be done in a timely manner once cedars have been removed from a prairie site. Failure to do so can result in a site not being restored.

From a business standpoint, we work with landowners, biologists, and wildlife professionals to implement practices in respect to the best times and seasons. We have had to structure our business to support ourselves in “down times” and in “good times.” Occasionally, we have to work within the “season of the cost-share money contract says a job has to be done by this date.” We’re no stranger to working within the seasons.

Throughout the last few years, there have been many times when we have questioned our calling and if we are doing what we’re supposed to be doing. Between burnt machines, broken machines, wet seasons, and some other unforeseen events, we have had our share of struggles. Miraculously (because there’s no other way to explain it), we have always had just what we needed when we needed it. Maybe not always by our definition of when, but we’ll say by God’s definition of when.

There have been occasions, and certainly since the birth of the twins, where we have said, “this is JUST a season. We’ll get through it.” We’ve said it as 50% hanging on to faith, and 50% reminder that we’ll get through this one day.

Last week, I was reading in Ecclesiastes. When I got to chapter 3, I decided to look up the etymology of season. Almost every time I read the Bible, I look up the definition or etymology of a word. I don’t remember what led up to me looking up “season,” but I know it was God pulling that string.

But the etymology, or history, accourding to etymonline.com of season comes from c. 1300 “seasoun” or “seson” meaning “a period of the year” and also “proper time, suitable occasion.” The Old French definition meant “season, date; right moment, appropriate time.”

In those hard moments over the last few years, when I said “this is just a season,” I have said that with more of a negative connotation, along with anticipation of getting out of the season. Oh boy, has my perspective been wrong.

Ecclesiastes 3 continues with the rather popularly quoted, “a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;….”

This chapter does not look at the seasons of our lives as time periods to just “make it through.” The seasons of our lives are there because they are appropriately placed periods. These seasons, no matter how hard, are the right moments that God is leading us through. Whether that’s to teach us a lesson, to lean on Him more, to give us a break, to wake us up, to test our faith, or to make us slow down.

For everything there is the right moment. For everything there is the proper time. For everything there is the suitable occasion. For everything there is the appropriate time. For everything there is a season.

There is a season to mulch. There is a season to spray.

There is a season to log. There is a season to stay off the soil.

There is a season to trust God that He will provide enough to make it through the week.

There is a season to know that our boys will one day sleep. and we will one day sleep again.

There is a season of making sure that we are doing what God has called us to do and to make sure our hearts are aligned with that calling.

Regardless of what defines the season God has put us in, God says that the season is right and appropriate. And whether it’s a time to be born, to die, to break down, to build up, to mourn, to dance, to whatever- there is a time for everything. And in God’s timing, it is the right time.

So ‘tis the season. And though you may not know the reason for the season- we do know that God has called us in it for just the right time.