This is “fair
season.” I usually make the rounds of the local fairs ostensibly to look at the
varied displays of livestock, agricultural related items, homemade crafts, various
culinary entries, and art works. I also like to see people I have not seen for
a while. Fairs strike me as having something like a reunion atmosphere to them.
My wife believes my attendance at fairs is really connected to the various food
stands. She suggests I eat my way through the fairs. I confess I usually skip
dinner on the day we visit the fair, unless I decide to eat something healthy
to offset the unhealthy choices I make. There is something about the smell of
fried food wafting in the fall breezes that completely nullifies my dietary
common sense. I am waiting for some creative genius to deep-fry an Oreo stuffed
Twinkie and serve it in a bowl smothered with hot fudge, whipped cream, and a
maraschino cherry. My cholesterol count just went up as that picture formed in my
mind!
Fair time always reminds me that the
season will soon be changing. In my opinion, the best weather for a fair is a
sunny day, but not too warm so that you are comfortable wearing a light jacket.
I have one light jacket with over-sized pockets that I like to wear to the fairs.
The pockets are especially handy for collecting the free giveaways from the
display tables. I get enough pens and note pads at the fair to carry me over to
the next year’s fair season. The candy at the tables never gets to the pockets.
Either my grandchildren kidnap the confectioneries I pick up, or the sweet
treats act as an appetizer until I get away from the display tables and over to
the “fair-food” stands!
The cool ting of the air at the fair
is for me a pleasant harbinger of things to come. I prefer the cold of winter
over the heat of summer. My body’s thermostat is the exact opposite of my
wife’s. Therefore, soon we will be having a tug-of-war over the thermostat
governing our home’s heating system. She looks at 68 degrees as a starting
point when heating the house. I consider 68 degrees the setting for the furnace
to shut down providing the perfect temperature to sit around in a tee-shirt and
shorts. She needs a quilt to generate heat in the house. I have my own padding
that I carry with me all the time and it is somehow connected to the
consumption of “fair food!”
The Bible talks about the seasons. One
reference to seasons deals with temperature and the changes of seed-time and
harvest (Genesis 8:22). Scripture also address
other seasons through which our lives pass (Ecclesiastes
3:1-8). In the 1960’s the rock group the Byrds released the song “Turn! Turn!
Turn!” The lyrics were almost verbatim from this passage in Ecclesiastes. In
fact, the author Peter Seeger donated 45% of his royalties to a humanitarian
cause realizing he only contributed 6 words and the music to the biblical words!
The song became an international hit in 1965 as it captured the way the 60’s
generation viewed life – a cyclical unending process.
Since life passes through many
seasons, it would be wise for us to ask, "What is the God-given purpose in
this season of life?" Too often we live unevaluated lives. We just sort of
meander from one day to the next without answering the essential questions of
life: Where did I come from? Why am I here? And where am I going? Seasons will come and they will go. The issue
to reflect upon is, “Why am I here right now? What is my purpose?” The Bible speaks to this issue. Life is to be
lived with meaning which ultimately glorifies God. If life is not lived from
that divine perspective we might conclude like Solomon, who wrote the words of
Ecclesiastes, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and
indeed, all is vanity and grasping after wind” (1:14). He concluded if all we
have to gauge life by is what happens on earth i.e. “under the sun” – then
life’s seasons don’t have much purpose. However, seeing life from “above the
sun” – i.e. God’s perspective – gives meaning to life’s seasons here on earth
“under the sun.”
Some people feel that their goal in
life is simply to make a point, share their perspective and have people buy
into their opinion and agenda. Andy Stanley presents another alternate and says
we are here not to make a point but to make a difference. I would add to his insight,
“a positive difference." All attitudes and actions make some kind of
difference – some more impactful than others.
We want to do more than make a difference. After all, Adolph Hitler made
a difference – a destructive one. The difference he made was related to hatred,
egomania, oppression, and a host of other influences. To make a positive
difference we need to be under a positive influence. I would suggest we only
make a positive difference when we come under the positive influence of Our
Creator. His influence enables us to
fulfill God's purposes for us and His plan for our lives. This purpose and plan
for our life is revealed in the Bible.
On one occasion Jesus was asked by a
religious leader, “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?” We might say
he wanted to know what Jesus thought was the most important thing to focus on
in the seasons of life. Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first
and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor
as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-39).
Here Jesus connects one’s life to relating properly to God above and people
below. When we are in right relationship to God and are seeking to please and
honor Him, it will enable us to be able to fulfill God’s plan and purposes on
earth as we relate to others. This combination allows a person to make a
positive difference. Such attitudes and actions are good in every season of
life.
It is still fair season. Let me see…
which fair do we attend next week? So many fairs, so little time!
