Shifting Shadows

I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains and later moved to the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. The transition from summer to fall was always marked by the changing of the leaves. Looking like majestic stained-glass windows on mountain sides, they always brought with them a sense of awe, wonder, and tourists from around the world. 

Having now moved to the deep South, the foliage stays more evergreen. And although there’s a glimpse of the maroons, oranges, and yellows here and there, it’s certainly not as remarkable as the more northern temperate deciduous forests. However, what I have taken note of in my decade-plus time away from the mountains, is the seasonal shifting of the shadows. As fall creeps in, the shadows slowly begin to change. They elongate, stretching across the lawn, across the road, touching places they’d never been at that same time of day during the summer. 

The oft-quoted verses in Ecclesiastes 3 remind us there is a time for all seasons of life. Most folks, whether religious or not, are familiar with this passage, as it echoes through songs on oldies radio, at funerals, in movies, transcending belief systems and seemingly resonating with everyone. We all encounter our own seasons in life. Throughout the past year-and-a half-plus we’ve all been in a season that has felt indescribable at times. So many days felt exactly the same as the one before, yet each day was still filled with so much unknown. It was a season for taking stock of what mattered. It was a season to reevaluate our priorities, our goals, our relationships. For so many of us it was a season of change. We let go of something or took on something new. We made a move. We or someone we love received a diagnosis. We began or ended a relationship. We decided to take a chance on a new chapter in life. 

Our lives are never static. We’re always in a season. Some of them feel better than others and some are filled with pain. Some of them are more tender than others while some are simply messy. In some we feel we grow while others seem to leave us with more questions than answers. Regardless of the season, it will eventually change. We can’t stay in one for too long. We’re constantly in motion, ebbing, flowing, growing, feeling, learning, changing.

James 1:17 reminds us God “does not change like shifting shadows”. Everything else changes, but God remains the same. Steadfast. Present. Loving. Caring. Guiding. Merciful. No matter how our seasons in life change, God remains the same. The Father is not like the shifting shadow of a canopy you continually chase on a sunny day as time passes at the beach. God is not like the shifting shadows that change with the seasons. Although our understanding and perception may change, God remains constant and ever-present. No matter how unsteady the ground feels, no matter how little of the path can be seen ahead, no matter how frightening the next step may feel, we can trust that our Heavenly Father is with us, never changing, never shifting like a shadow, no matter the season of our lives. Thanks be to God.