Its cold outside and the temperatures are dropping rapidly and your body is screaming…I’m tired! Well actually that’s what mine is saying after a very busy summer season. So it’s actually time for a holiday! But any small business owner will tell you, it is always difficult to step away from

your business and leave it in the hands of someone else. Especially if you are an intricate part of the operations.

So it is time for me to take some R&R and it got me thinking about the various seasons in our lives. Every day, year and decade is filled with seasons that not only determine where we are, what we do but also what we wear, eat and drink. Some seasons we give and some seasons we take, some seasons we are on top of the mountain and in some seasons we are in the valley.
In the Cape Province, we can see the seasons relating to the weather, winter, spring, summer and autumn very clearly. Some days even have the 4 seasons in one day! Spring always bring a new spring into our step and almost certainly more rain, but for the rain is often refreshing and so needed, so it is bearable. Summer in its full glory brings laughter and fun and time outside with our friends and family. Autumn we see the leaves change color and the squirrels scurry around looking for acorns to collect for winter. And then winter comes and the temperatures drop, the mountains around us turn white with snow and grey skies prevail with down pour of rain for days.

In the beauty and spa business it seems that the same seasons prevail. As spring emerges and temperatures rise, everyone rushes to have their legs waxed, toenails painted and start to diet. All in anticipation of summer where the clothes we wear become brighter and less fabric and our white winter legs and toes are exposed. So not only with the seasons come changes in color but our moods start to lift and we start spending more money on ourselves. So with summer comes the busy season in our industry and so we reap what we have sown all year. With autumn, bookings start getting less and once winter is here in full swing, it’s our time of rest in the salons. Staff get to take leave and hopefully get to rest and get their strength back to maintain the excellent service for our customers during the busy season that will start again at spring time.

So why does it matter that we are aware of the Seasons. Well I read a great piece by Pastor Louis Els the other day that really spoke to me, where he said: “If you walk in the unforced rhythms of grace you will do things that will blow your mind” And this just confirmed with me that seasons come. If we go with the flow of grace and seek the path of peace in all situations, not only will the seasons come and go, but will it be easier to work through it, no matter what the season is you are in. As we all know its great to be on top of the mountain where the skies look wide open and possibilities are endless, but I thinks its in the valley that you truly get to know yourself. There at the bottom of the valley where its dark and the only way is up and the only way to go up is not in your own strength but that of Gods strength. This is where we need to surrender and let the rhythms of grace delivered to us by God daily take over in our lives and allow God to stir up the courage, hope and determination in us, to once again get to the top of that mountain. But I believe without the valley, we cannot appreciate what the mountain has to offer and we will never be able to give glory to our Father when we reach the top of that mountain and get to experience the glory of what God has install for our lives.

So from now on I will enjoy the seasons, the ups and down, the going and staying and let the rhythms of grace just take me along this great adventure called life. Why don’t you join me? …until next time.

Be generous and kind to yourself and others

Jacoline
xxx