There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens: a time for giving birth and a time for dying. — Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a
It seems to me that there’s a certain rhythm to life, or “seasons” as the writer of Ecclesiastes described it.
1st stage: Accept and Anticipate
As children, we receive without thinking, and we wait for the next adventure the day will bring. The vista is broad and limitless. We’re dependent and that’s ok, although we’re anxious for when we’re independent. I eagerly anticipated getting my driver’s license at 16. It showed I was ready for the next stage.
2nd stage: Take, Make, Bake
Entering adulthood is about establishing your independence. Careers, relationships, families, portfolios, homes, insurance. Like a cake, you take the ingredients, mix them together, put them in the oven, and hope you don’t burn down the house in the process. The vista narrows down to the world you’re creating.
3rd stage: Accept and Appreciate
And after you’ve baked your cakes, you discover old-adult childhood. Things slow down, including your body and mind. You move to accepting things from people you wouldn’t have needed to accept when you were in stage two. It dawns on you that such giving and receiving is what love is all about. Perhaps you learn more about life in this stage than in the other two. Maybe you wish you could sing with Cher (a singer some may remember when they were taking-making-baking), “If I Could Turn Back Time…” Accordingly, your vision improves and life’s vista expands once again.
Jesus messed with this rhythm, however. It seems like he wanted to infuse stage two with the optimism/playfulness of stage one kids and the wisdom/seasoning of stage three old people.
He said to stage two people: “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children.” (Matthew 19:14)
He also said to stage two people: “[The rich man said to himself,] ‘You have stored up plenty of goods, enough for several years. Take it easy! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool, tonight you will die. Now who will get the things you have prepared for yourself?’ This is the way it will be for those who hoard things for themselves and aren’t rich toward God.” (Luke 12:19-21)
If we ever figured out how to spend our taking-making-baking years with the faith of a child and the wisdom of a senior, we’d certainly live a lot more like Jesus imagined.
By the way, all of this makes you wonder about the 4th stage, doesn’t it?