Seasons of Life

Photo by Ben Mullins on Unsplash

Spring was Grandmother’s favorite season. She loved watching the birds, out on the farm, and it was usually in March  when their singing and nesting started. She also treasured taking crisp morning walks along the creekbank, checking for buds on her beloved apricot trees.

But Spring was also a feared time of year, because it meant the beginning of the fifth season–in Southwest Oklahoma—tornado season. A twister can develop so quickly, that the people in its path have little time to seek shelter. This is exactly what happened to Grandmother’s family in 1918, when she was just six years old. They barely made it down into the root cellar before the twister hit. When they came out, the house, the barn and everything else had been completely swallowed up by the storm.

The seasons of life are often likewise—both favored and feared. Sunshine and bird song in the morning can turn to thunder and lightning by afternoon. And there is often little warning.

It’s okay to worry a little, but you must remain positive—even if you don’t want to.

Eunice Estes, my grandmother.

Kind reader, perhaps this is the secret to weathering both the sweet and the stormy times of life: worry a little but stay optimistic. As the old hymn says, “Faith is the victory, that overcomes the world.”

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

Thank you for reading. 🙏❤️ prayers and love.


Posted

in

,

by

Comments

29 responses to “Seasons of Life”

  1. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Southwest of us about 40 miles. And last week, Northeast of us about 50 miles. A rotating super cell passed about 5 miles from our town and then became an F3 tornado 🌪️ farther north. 1 trip to the storm cellar so far.

    Like

  2. jesusluvsall Avatar

    Tornado season has hit here. I read tornados hit in Oklahoma. Were they near you?

    Liked by 1 person

  3. davidsdailydose Avatar

    You’re welcome, Beth. Thank you for reading and sharing! God bless you.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Beth Alisan Avatar

    Thank you David for sharing this gem of wisdom from your Grandma Eunice!

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Pure Glory Avatar

    The traumatic experience of your grandmother, David, made her wise. It is important to run to the safety of our Father’s arms before the storm, just as she and her family got into the root cellar.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Yes she was. Here name was Eunice, which means “good victory.” This certainly fit her God-centered approach to life.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. musingsofmanettekay Avatar

    David, it seems you had a practical and wise grandmother. One who weathered a traumatic event and remained optimistic about life.

    Liked by 2 people

  8. Crystal Byers Avatar

    And to think on any given day, the seas are calm somewhere while storms rage on elsewhere.

    Liked by 2 people

  9. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Here in Oklahoma there’s always a chance the apricot trees will bloom early—before the last freeze. The ones we grow here are on the smaller side as well. Thank you for stopping by, sister Super C! God Bless.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you for sharing, Crystal. I saw you got to go on a cruise with your dad and older sister. It looked like you had a good time, in all that bright blue water.
    I’ve never met someone who lived through a 🌪️ tornado who wasn’t changed by it. I suppose the same goes for the storms of life.

    Like

  11. God Still Speaks Avatar

    At the house we lived at before the ranch, we planted apricot trees. Here in the Rocky Mountains we did get harvests each year, but the apricots grew no bigger than a silver dollar. But they were yummy!

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Crystal Byers Avatar

    The words of your grandmother and this: “The seasons of life are often likewise—both favored and feared. Sunshine and bird song in the morning can turn to thunder and lightning by afternoon.” ❤️

    My granny and gramps had an underground storm shelter at their home in Del City. Fortunately (for them), they were gone before a tornado wiped out their neighborhood.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, brother Alan! God is indeed in control. Blessings to you and the Kearns clan. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Alan Kearns Avatar

    A very thoughtful post indeed David. There are many times when we are facing storms in life, but we have the reassurance of Who is in control – our Father God who loves us. May He bless you and Nancy this weekend 🙏

    Liked by 3 people

  15. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thanks, Pastor Pete. I waited to publish until I knew the newsletter had published.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. pastorpete51 Avatar

    Oh we just used this in our first week of April newsletter. I love your photo! Thank you again for helping us to keep Sunshine Newsletter going.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. davidsdailydose Avatar

    You’re welcome, Peggy. Thank you for reading.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. peggywritesblog Avatar

    Thanks for sharing your grandmother’s story. And I love her wise advice!

    Liked by 2 people

  19. davidsdailydose Avatar

    🙏 for you and your family during this time, Gary! You’re exactly right, our faith is tested most in the storms of life. Thank you for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Joy, thank you for sharing a favorite thought from Christ Himself! It’s amazing how much one can go through and still keep faith, hope and love. I appreciate your stopping by today. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Bridget Avatar

    Wow, what a tragic story. But it sounds like your grandmother was a wise women. Sometimes worry is a good thing, if it helps us to make wise choices and to run to our Father. But as your grandmother said, we have to stay positive too, knowing that our God is always beside us. Thank you for this thought provoking post, David.

    Liked by 3 people

  22. Gary Fultz Avatar

    faith is a good ingredient to have an extra scoop of (every day). I’m commenting from an ER waiting room, a place where we find out if our faith is like putting dry ice in the sun or stainless steel exposed to corrosive unchanged and solid….or inbetween.

    whatever, ER or in a tornado cellar…there is a real perspective.

    Liked by 3 people

  23. joynealkidney Avatar

    In this life we’ll have trouble, but take heart: I have overcome the world! Spring was also my cheerful grandmother’s favorite time of year, during the four decades I knew her. The grandmother who struggled so during the Great Depression (lost three infants), lost three sons during WWII and was widowed not long after the war).

    Liked by 2 people

  24. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Yes. In fair weather prepare for foul. It’s comforting to know that God is with us in all conditions. Blessings to you and yours, Jeff.

    Liked by 2 people

  25. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Holding on to hope, despite circumstances, is exactly how she lived her life! My grandmother was the most positive person I’ve ever known. Her cheerful voice is still a good memory me. Thank you for stopping by today and for sharing your thoughts. God Bless!

    Liked by 3 people

  26. Don't Lose Hope Avatar

    Your grandmother was a wise woman. In a way, she was describing the need to hold onto hope, despite circumstances.

    Liked by 5 people

  27. Jeffrey H. King Avatar

    This age seems like the opposite of your story. With all the turmoil in this world it seems that all we can see is “tornado season.” But Jesus explained to His disciples – and us – that means that Spring is right around the corner!

    Thanks for the lesson, brother! Stay prayerful in good times, because, as Priscilla noted, tomorrow is another day.

    Liked by 4 people

  28. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Yes, it was quite traumatic for them. And for the rest of her life my grandmother took no chances with severe storms. When the sky grew dark and ominous she would say, “Everyone get to the cellar!” And we did.
    Thank you for reading and commenting, Priscilla. God Bless!

    Liked by 2 people

  29. Priscilla Bettis Avatar

    How frightening for your grandmother’s family! When my aunt was a kid in Oklahoma, her bus was picked up by a tornado. They lived in Tryon. Amazingly, no one was hurt. I keep Matthew 6:34 on a sticky note on my desk, and I like the way my late uncle would say it: Don’t borry tomorrow’s troubles.

    Liked by 5 people

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.