Seasons - A time for change

The bible talks about everything having its season. Last week at the Cultivate Seminar a gentlemen their related that familiar verse to where God has currently placed him and where God is going to place him. He warned that we need to be willing to change when God calls to change. Seasons come and go, but God remains the same.

I am approaching a huge change in season, an about face. I am about to give up something that has been a huge part of my life and development. Ever since I was old enough to hold by arms up I have been playing the cornet and aspiring to be just like my dad and his dad before him, a desire to play well and to be active in the "ministry" of the band. This pursuit has lead me to some amazing experiences, tours of across Canada and the United States and even over to Europe, but probably more important it gave me opportunities to meet some great people and to develop some life long friendships. As a young man trying to figure out what God was calling me to the band acted as a place to meet with friends and discuss some of the challenges associated with following Christ. I will always be thankful to my parents for starting me out in the band and thankful to the band for helping develop me into what I believe is a fairly well rounded individual. I have come to realize that as much as I felt at the time I was doing some amazing outward ministry I was truly the one being ministered to.

In point of fact, I have come to realization over the past couple of years that as much as I love banding and I do, for me it is actually standing in way of what God is calling me to. I definitely believe my Season(s) spent in the band and "traditional" SallyAnn ministry has prepared me for something else. It has taken a lot of wrestling with God for me to realize that in order to be faithful to God I have to give up something I never thought I would ever want or be called to give up. That being said, I am so excited for the new Season which is approaching, where I pray God will continue to tear down anything in me that is separating me from fully experiencing what He has to offer. I trust that God will at some point provide an opportunity to use the musical talents he has given me, but I have been brought to a place where I know that even if I never play a cornet again I can be content knowing that God is going to provide opportunities far beyond my understanding that will take the place of the hours of time I have devoted to banding and do some new and amazing things.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
Eccl. 3:1


The challenge for us all is to be faithful to God when he is telling us it is time to change seasons and not cling onto things because they are the only things we have known.