Finding Resilience in the Seasons of Life: Lessons from Nature’s Cycle

As we walked down the street one morning in the US, something shifted my attention to the grass, which used to be green but was getting dry and brown.

As we walked I noticed that the grass in front of most of the houses were also given off their green color and drying up.

I began to think of the life of that grass. I meditated for a while on why it had gone dry. In the process, I acknowledged that in summer, there are usually high temperatures and low rainfalls, which meant that no matter the amount of fertilizer available to that grass or the fertile nature of the soil, without a combination of water and sunlight, the process of manufacturing its food would be incomplete.

So, for a season, the grass would have to remain with the pains of dryness until the rainy season sets in. The horticulturist and the homeowners know that the only way for that grass to come back green is to water it. However, they also know that the dryness and brownish color are just for a season and that the grass will return to life shortly.

The above reflects the state of trees and flowers. When trees and flowers wither and die, they look ugly. But when they have rain showers, they sprout, flourish, and present us with their beautiful nature.

The above analogical reflections on the lows and highs of plants should act as pointers to what we pass through in life.

Unfortunately, we do not take time to reflect on or study the lives of plants and animals and compare them with ours to draw inferences that could strengthen our resilience and perseverance index.

Everybody has seasonal moments. Some of those moments could be high or low, even when we know we do not manage the seasons similarly. Like nature, there are seasons of wetness and dryness, plenty and scarcity, full and empty, hunger and fullness, etc.

Whichever season we find ourselves in, let us know there could be natural and cyclical reasons for passing through some dryness and turbulence. Besides, it could also be related to gaps in our spiritual, mental, and physical nature, which we need to diagnose and rectify.

Some of what we pass through could due to any natural phenomenon of what we must pass through or what we have caused. Some might have also been imposed on us by the harsh economic realities of the government’s transformation agenda.

As we wake into this new day, some are waking into their seasons of plenty. We should thank God for them. If you are in your season of plenty, please try to give yourself a bash. But do not forget to reach out to those in need.

If it is your period of turbulence and dryness, do not brood over the situation. Still praise God because it could have been worse. Many passed this last night. Some are on their way to the morgue, while others are having their rites of passage. There are so many people on ventilators and life support systems. You who are alive should pray for yourself and those too frail to pray. Many are getting and resuming new jobs today, while others have lost or losing theirs today.

Irrespective of the divide you fall into, remember, if you have breath and can move, your days of plenty and flourishing will come as long as you are not idle, keeping hope alive and keep moving. You shall overcome. Amen.

Grace and peace!!!