A SEASON TO KNOW IN A YEAR ANEW

Christian Times Magazine issue 67 | Monthly Magazine page 25

By J. K. Harrill

By the time Christian Times Magazine reaches most of you, December 31st, 2022, will have come and gone. Another year having past in one second from the numbers 2022 into 2023. Not a day as we most often consider during the year, yet on December 31st we count accurately down the seconds before acknowledging the change of one day, one year to the next.

In this moment in time, this time I want to share with you an accounting which had a slight different ring at the Harrill House this year. Our youngest Grand-Adult, (When your firstborn child’s, child attains their Masters Degree from University, that is surely Grand and they are definitely an Adult.) Madison Paige and her husband to be decided December 31st was the perfect day for them to be married. Moving from one form of engagement to another form of engagement while transitioning into a Year Anew in a matter of hours. So, Congratulations Madison and Aaron on this Beginning Of 2023 as Equal Partners, Joined In Holy Matrimony. A New Season of Life to behold, know and cherish.

For me personally the year 2023 will bring opportunity to take another trip around the Sun, my 69th such journey and of even more import to and for me, to know the wonder of traveling to and through my 270th, 271st, 272nd, and 273rd Seasons to Live and Experience the Challenges & Change each affords. In my writing of a work titled “Should We Choose to Participate, Life Holds Many Wonderful Things, ” which we will revisit at the end of this article/accumulation of words written, I included references to Seasons lived. It was my intention then as now, that the words written and given just consideration, hopefully challenges the mind to think and eventually know how important each Season truly is. I also want to give due consideration to the one chosen as Person of The Year by Christian Times Magazine, Queen Elizabeth.

Christian Times Magazine issue 67 | Monthly Magazine

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born at 17 Bruton Street, in Mayfair, London England on Wednesday, April 21, 1926. Elizabeth was the firstborn of Albert Frederick Arthur George, and Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowls-Lyon. Another child was to be born, a younger sister Margret.

Elizabeth’s life was not supposed to be lived in the limelight afforded a future Queen. The order of her birth wasn’t supposed to find her in the role of Queen since her Father was not the direct heir to the throne of England.

Elizabeth spent the first ten years of her life believing she would be no more than a member of the Royal Family, daughter of Bertie as her father was known to friends and niece to her Uncle Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, (David to his friends) who would be King. Then in January of 1936 King George V died and just as was proper, as was decided at birth, David, The Prince of Wales succeeded his Father to the throne as King Edward VIII.

Then on the 10th day of December 1936, History was made as Love for and with another proved to be a far better choice than that of being a King. After sitting on the throne for just shy of a year, Edward VIII abdicated the throne and on December the 11th 1936, Prince Albert Duke of York assented as King George VI. The former King Edward is given title, His Royal Highness the Duke of Windsor and in 1937 married the love of his life, which he abdicated his title to the throne and King in order to do.

Now this first-born child of the never to be King of England, ten years old going on eleven, Elizabeth became heir presumptive to the throne. Interesting title…. Heir Presumptive, yet at the age of a mere ten years… some forty odd seasons of life lived, having had no expectation of the role she would be given to fill or the road she would travel in doing so, now changed forever is life, responsibility and dedication to serve. If…. If her parents did not have another child and that child be a Boy. Heir Presumptive, presuming a boy were not born, a boy was not available, a boy who no matter when born or in what order, a boy would be King…. I suppose the idea was A King supersedes A Queen in the Royal Circles Chain of Command. As would be the case no male was born and Princess Elizabeth held her title Presumptive Heir until on February 6th, 1952, King George, (Bertie as known to his friends) died in his sleep at the age of fifty-six.

Some fifteen years after a ten-year-old Elizabeth’s Uncle stepped down as King and her Father stepped into the role of King of England, Elizabeth is in Kenya on official tour of the Commonwealth when notice came of her Fathers passing.

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Christian Times Magazine issue 67 | Monthly Magazine

It would be over a year before Her Majesty would be crowned as Queen of England.

For the next seventy years Queen Elizabeth would serve as leader of the Royal Family. Seventy Years, 280 Seasons of Life Lived…. and as I wrote in December’s article, Always Enough, Queen Elizabeth whose direction in life changed first at ten years old, then again at twenty-five and twenty-six years old, was for whatever reason able to weather the storms of life, the changing of the seasons to provide, to be and be considered right up and until her last breath taken…. Elizabeth left this life having been enough.

As I stated earlier about revisiting words written in a work titled, “Should We Choose to Participate, Life Holds Many Wonderful Things” the reference is to the Seasons.

Seasons - a subtle constant reminder of the parallels between nature and humankind.

Spring - as with youth a time for planting.

Summer - a time of cultivation of seeds sown.

Fall - the harvesting, a time of maturity, of understanding, the time we become aware that as we have sown so shall we also reap.

And Winter - the time God gives us sight as he removes the leaves from the trees that we may see more clearly the greatness of our God. A God who in six days could create a World with such detail that we will spend a lifetime trying to comprehend it. Then on the seventh day he rested, such is Winter, a time of rest. A time of anticipation of a new and more wonderful World to come.

Elizabeth began her journey toward execution of her duties as Queen in the Spring of her life. Planting the seeds of her life to be known. Then early in the Summer of her life, she was left to not only cultivate her own seeds sown, to till and weed and care for the garden of her Father’s planting.

I would say in my opinion for the most part, Elizabeth found the harvesting of her Fall season of life to have been well gathered and providing of nourishment to the people she served.

And Winter… Elizabeth was found to be well respected and sought out for not only her Royal Position, but she was also held in high esteem for her view of the World in which we live.

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Christian Times Magazine issue 67 | Monthly Magazine page 28

In what Season of Life do you find yourself physically and emotionally?

I am absolutely in Winter, as I stated about my Seasons Lived…. 270 and counting, I find myself looking in the same direction as I once did, in the Spring of my living, in Summer and Fall of my existence, yet I see different than was once there, I see past things that once distracted my view and vision allowing for clarity…. as I have never known before. My hearing has changed, also in many ways removing the distractions around me and allowing for my hearing Gods voice so much clearer than ever before.

The importance of Thinking has been moved back a few spots, replaced by a need to share what is Known. Especially Knowing God, and that where God is, is not where I Want to Be…. It is Where I Will Be.

As we begin A Year Anew, how many Seasons have you known. Four per year times your age. How many have you known so far?

Now what Season of life do you find yourself being in….? Are You Planting….? Are You Cultivating? Are You Harvesting? Are You Consuming the Worth Of A Life Of Seasons Lived….?