“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13) The Seasons There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to be thankful and see the positives regardless of what they experienced. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said, “no – it was covered with green buds and full of promise”. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right because they had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life, but nonetheless, they all experienced the same tree. If you can cherish the tree and be grateful for its existence no matter what season you find it in, then you have learned the secret of gratitude and contentment. But, if you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, the fulfillment of your fall. Charles Spurgeon wrote: Paul says, "I have learned to be content;" as much as to say he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down…”It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually…We don’t need to be taught to murmur, but we must be taught to acquiesce in the will and good pleasure of the Lord our God. GiGi❤️ The Seasons, taken from Lizstoryplanet.com
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