A Man For One Season

Thursday I continued transcribing for eventual publication all those hand-written diaries of Barbara White’s. Their dates range from May, 1976, through 2003. My typing of the things now approaches December of 1981.

They tell me adversity is good for my soul.

They lie.

Anyhow, the last entry I transcribed speaks to my condition.

On November 26, 1981, Barbara wrote:

There is a seasonal nature in Christian experience…There is no instant maturity. Time either works for us or against us. If it rains on you and you never bring forth fruit, you haven’t used your time right.

Spring—All Christian life begins in the Spring. That’s the time for multiplication of the seed, blossoms, bees.

Summer—Summer is when the Lord puts the heat on—and sends the rain. It’s a time of growth and maturity. Vines don’t bear fruit unless there is first a Summer.

Fall—Fall is the harvest time. Thanksgiving. In-gathering. God collects fruit.

In Fall, get all you can, then can all you get.

Winter—The winter experience prepares for Spring. What happens to fruit in Winter? Don’t panic. Spring is coming. Every child of God has seasons of Winter. Rest in God and prepare your tools for Spring. Fruit bearing in Winter is unusual—and probably plastic.

Every tree of God is an evergreen. No dried up shriveled up trees.

God never demands fruit out of season.

In Winter, the accuser attacks us asking, “Where is your fruit? ”. The accuser accuses us of spiritual laziness, being barren, unprofitable. He questions, “Why is not God doing something?’

My job is to cooperate with God in all my seasons.

By Barbara’s criteria, I’m a man of one season.

Winter hell!

I’m a walking, talking spiritual Ice Age.

A one-man glacier.

But, I’m not alone.

Wednesday Business Week magazine released a list of the ten unhappiest cities in the United States; their survey looked at divorce, crime, unemployment, depression, suicide, and cloudy days to determine which cities were not very happy.

Jacksonville ranks number six on that list.

Broken down in sections, the Business Week survey says Jacksonville is #2 in depression, #23 in crime, and #9 in suicides. One high point—the survey lists Jacksonville as #144 in cloudy days….

Bunch of damn yankees! If that’s what you think of us, stay home. Why do droves of you move here—maybe that’s what makes the rest of us so miserable.

Hey, we icemen deserve a rant now and then.