Enjoy the Season

I was born on a hot, late August day.  It was the first day of the school year.  Each year, my birthday was hot and we stayed inside, went to the cool movie theaters, or played water sports in our little backyard.  On all accounts, I was a summer baby and summer wasn't over for me until after my birthday even if school had begun.  This fun season of adventures was prolonged further by family road trips at the end of August for many years.  Being homeschooled, school often didn't begin until we arrived home from those trips.  So I've never had a problem enjoying summer to it's fullest extent.  But what about the other seasons?

In the spring, I couldn't wait for school to be over and for summer to begin.  At the beginning of the school year, I already found myself longing for fall, Thanksgiving, break, and cooler weather.  At Thanksgiving, I was looking forward to Christmas, winter, hot cocoa, holiday lights, scarves, hats, and gloves.  After Christmas had passed, I looked forward to spring, flowery patterns, spring cleaning, Easter, and the end of the school year.  Now that our Christmas decorations have come down again and the parties are over, I found myself feeling discontented yet again.

I love each and every season of the year; I don't think I could pick a favorite.  I love fall aesthetics, Christmas everything, easter beauty, and summer adventures.  But I don't think I ever stopped looking forward.  I was always waiting for the next best thing.  And in constantly longing for the future, I think I missed a lot of contentment in the now.

I knew I had always done this in my vocation (it is still something I struggle with) but I just realized I also do it just from one weather changing season to the next.  What does this show me?  Contentment is missing.  How do we obtain contentment?  We know it's not by getting more pumpkin spice lattes or capturing lots of Instagram worthy shots.  We do not remain content by decorating our home with all the latest trends on Pinterest or trying every new project that catches our fancy.  These things are all good and can enhance our enjoyment of the seasons, but they cannot fill our hearts with total peace and contentment.

To find contentment, we must make the constant, unchanging One our base; our rock; our foundation.  Our Lord is always the same yesterday, today, and forever.  If we place our trust in Him and look for our peace, joy, and comfort in Him, we can't be disappointed by the many changes that the seasons bring.  Our Lord is present to us anytime anywhere and He manifests His beauty to us in the world and seasons around us.  So if we look for His Presence in this present season, we will find all we need.  Then, the fun and festive activities of the seasons can bring bonus joy to our lives.  

Personally, I know and hear this message a lot but sometimes it's harder to put into practice than it sounds.  So I would like to share just a few ideas with you to help us cling to our rock, Jesus Christ.

• Celebrate the Liturgical seasons!

People don't often realize, but the Church calendar is full of feasts and season to help us grow in our Faith and oftentimes, these seasons reflect or complement the seasons of the calendar year! The preparatory season of Lent takes place before the bright spring of Easter, Embertide reminds us to give thanks to God during seasons of harvest, and Christmastide brings a warm joy to the cold of winter.  There are lots of great books that offer meditations and short readings on the liturgical seasons.  Want to find even more reasons to celebrate?  Look up your patron Saints and their feast days!  There are so many wonderful Saints to celebrate throughout the year.

• Go to daily Mass and/or Adoration. 

I know it can be hard to go to Mass every single day but try to go maybe 1, 2, or 3 times a week in addition to Sunday Mass.  The readings and prayers at Mass reflect the liturgical season and help us contemplate it more deeply.  Spending extra time with Jesus after Mass in the adoration chapel is a great bonus too!  Or if you're not able to make it to Mass due to work or school schedules, go to Adoration every so often at least.  Even if it's just a quick visit, time with Jesus in silence opens our hearts to His grace and presence.

• Read a spiritual book daily.

I like short reads such as The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila, Jesus, King of Love by fr. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, and many others.  It's fairly easy to read a short chapter or meditation in the morning or before bed and it can inspire you for the rest of the day.

Most importantly, remember to thank God every day for His presence, His love, and His gifts.  When we keep our gaze focused on Him who never changes, the changing of the seasons will only add a new and different perspective to our lives instead of leaving us dissatisfied.

What is your favorite season?  How do you cultivate contentment day to day?  I'd love to chat in the comments below!

God bless you and keep you!