No matter the season, every season is a season to grow—even seasons of dying and death.

If you study nature (and you should because God created a perfect natural order that works beautifully when we don’t tamper with it), you find that death is required for life to take place. A seed of any kind literally dies—bursts open in a way that destroys it for roots and shoots to form. Both plants and animals die to become food and nutrient to the soil and other living things. Stars die and create galaxies; when cells die without replenishing your body begins to shut down.

There are many lessons to be found in death and dying.

Here is one I am realizing at the age of 44. We have created illusory time. Because we have amassed so much “knowledge” (really so little when you compare it to civilizations past) and so much false wealth and riches, we believe that those things equate to time.

They do not.

Time stands alone as it’s own mechanism, designed by God on the 3rd day to mark the seasons, days, and in the advent of sin nature the years of our lives. It is a precious precious commodity, one we squander on foolish things, self centered thing, harmful things, things that fade and rust as time marks us with wrinkles we try to freeze and paint and surgery away, and gray hairs we try to hide and aches and pains we try to medicate and massage and exercise away. We run from time, rather than do what the word of God says: “Teach us to number of days, that we may apy our hearts unto wisdom.”

We want time to take it easy on us. We want death to take it easy on us. We want God to take it easy on us.

But you don’t grow from easy.

Growth is painful. I remember when both my daughters would come to me crying because they hurt but couldn’t explain the hurt. I’d call my mama then the doctor, and both mom and that old Jewish lady would say, “It’s growing pains.” I remember all the students I’ve had who would yell at me ”You not helping me!” when I wouldn’t give them the answer, and I’d say, “It’s ok. You’re just learning. Learning hurts sometimes.”

I think about right now. When I wake up on time, and still end up late because I am still feeling my way after 31 days of my Spencer being gone from me, and I hear the Holy Spirit saying, “Remember that God prunes that which is fruitful so that you will bear more fruit. You are growing. It’s okay.”

You don’t grow from easy.

So. Don’t run from the hard thing. Whatever God is teaching you, showing you, handing you, revealing in you in this moment—good, bad, ugly—lean into it. Own it. Rest in it. Every season, even one of death and dying, is designed to bring forth life in due course.

Growing,