New shoes
Whilst many children continue to enjoy the school holidays, some parents are beginning to prepare for the new academic year. That often means new school uniform and new shoes!
Getting new school shoes was a rather traumatic experience when our three children were much younger. We only got their shoes from ‘Clarks’ and it seemed the rest of the town thought the same.
It was chaos in there! You had to wait your turn, trying to keep your children under control. There was much bribing with treats, hoping that your kids would not be the ones who made a ‘scene’, causing other parents to stare and give those disapproving looks!
Eventually a very helpful assistant would come and lead us through a long process of measuring the feet from every angle! Once that was done, we embarked on another ordeal of selecting a pair of shoes, only to discover that they were out of stock!
Getting ready for school is one of those signs that a new season is approaching. Recently I read this in the Bible…
“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.”
This is taken from Song of Solomon, which is a poetic celebration of love between a man and a woman. It should come with a ‘over 18’s only’ warning. If you’ve read it, you know what I mean!
In these particular verses, the man said to the woman that the winter was over. In other words, they were moving into a new season, full of vibrancy and life.
As I read this, I felt a little nudge from God. I believe he was showing me that there is a new season coming! Of course, that is true! We shall be heading into autumn in a matter of weeks.
But what was being impressed on me was two things:
Firstly, all seasons come to an end. However long a particular stretch of time has been. It will cease, things will change, and there will be a new season.
Secondly, I felt God was saying that there is going to be a shift from winter to spring. In other words, a new ‘spiritual season’, moving from a time where nothing grows (winter) into a time of new life bursting forth (spring)!
Let me encourage you! Just as the natural seasons come and go, so it is, in life! Seasons come to an end. The winter is past – it’s time for a new season, filled with new life, new hope and perhaps a new pair of shoes!
God bless
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader