Saying the ‘seasons of God’ seems a little bit more charismatic than I intended. The seasons of God simply mean the seasons of Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter that God has created for his glory and our enjoyment. How do we instruct our children about the diversity and beauty of each season through practical and enjoyable adventures?
As with so many Biblical adventures, it can be simpler than we originally think. God has created the outdoors and all we as parents or instructors need to do is open our Bible and let His general revelation speak for itself! Let’s learn about the seasons of God!
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Spring
We are surrounded by God’s beauty in all its glory. It is a season of new growth as plants, trees, and flowers begin to bloom again. The birds are singing, the crickets are chirping, and you can smell a crisp scent of renewal. I have always loved the old saying that “April showers bring May flowers!” Spring weather is beautiful, but with it comes rainstorms and sometimes severe weather. This parallels our life, as we have to have the rain in order to have a beautiful rainbow. The Lord will take us through our storms of life with the peace that passes understanding. Often it is our trials that make us stronger in the end.
Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.
Zechariah 10:1 NIV
We use spring as a time to discuss the life cycle of plants with our children. The process of planting, watering, and weeding, provide valuable insight into our lives as a Christian. This lends itself to studying the Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13:1-23. We must plant ourselves in fertile soil and feed on His word so that we can grow in knowledge and faith.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
1 Corinthians 3:6-8 New King James Version (NKJV)
Spring is also a time of re-birth. One of my favorite things is to see all of the newborn creatures. It’s time for calves and lambs to arrive, and birds have laid eggs that are ready to hatch. We always end up with baby bunnies in our yard. We are to be born again with Christ to live anew, as these tiny creatures are. It’s a time for the seasons of God to show new beginnings!
Activities to Teach about the Seasons of God in Springtime
- Plant seeds in a clear plastic cup and place them in a window. This will allow the viewing of the root system. We must have the roots of our faith planted deep!
- Volunteer to plant flowers for others – neighbors, church members, elderly, and such. Watching these plants grow and flourish provides joy. This is what the Lord feels when we bloom spiritually.
- Visit a local arboretum or nursery. Focus discussion on the hundreds of varieties of plants. Discuss how we are all different, but that we all need the same things to grow.
- Take a spring nature walk to identify plants, trees, and flowers. Look for signs of God’s creatures and observe them in their habitat. Use items that you make nature collages
- Visit a farm or zoo to observe the animals born this spring. This can also lead to age-appropriate discussions about the cycle of life, and how God gives all creatures life.
- Lie on your backs and observe the clouds together. Talk about the shapes that you see and make pictures with shaving cream.
Summer
This season, like others, has both advantages and disadvantages. My body does not do well with heat, so as far as tolerance to temperatures, mine is low during the hot summer days! This means limited time outside and constantly covering up or wearing sunscreen. The sun is a wonderful and necessary blessing, but sometimes it can literally “burn you”. With our kids it is a great example of “too much of a good thing” can be harmful. This leads to conversations about balance in our lives and controlling ourselves to not use and rely on an excess of worldly things.
When I think of the gentle warmth created by the sun all year round, I think of how the Lord is our shining light. He provides light for our path and gives us the things that we need. The Lord knew that light was a good thing, as he said on the day 4 of creation in this Bible verse.
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Genesis 1:14-19 (NKJV)
There is a hymn in our books at church called “Sunshine in My Soul”. It parallels the sun to the light of God and the beauty and joy that He brings. The darkness is equated with sin and the light is equated with goodness. We are to be “sunny” and shine bright so that others can see Him in us. This leads to discussions with our kids about ways that we can help others and shine our light. One of my favorite songs is “You Are My Sunshine”, and I know the the Lord is my sunshine. The words can also be applied to our relationship with Christ.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me.
Micah 7:8
Activities to Teach about the Seasons of God in Summer
- Make a list of your favorite things to do in the summer. Try to do as many of these as you can.
- Enjoy some daily time outside in the sun – swimming, walking, hiking, biking….whatever you enjoy doing
- Do something to shine your light to others – volunteer to help neighbors, friends, family, or a local charity
- Make some delicious sun tea using a glass jar with tea bags sitting outside
- Play with your shadows and make some shadow art
- Place an egg or a hot dog outside on a really hot day and see how long it takes to “cook”
- Talk about the sun’s location and some facts about our universe
- Make a homemade sundial
Fall
Autumn greets us with crisp air and cooler temperatures. The grass is browning after the summer’s heat and many flowers have faded again until next spring. Students return to school and the daylight hours shorten. We are surrounded by reminders that the season is changing, and one of the most beautiful is the leaves changing colors. I love the majestic beauty of the green turning to lovely shades of red, yellow, orange, and brown. I enjoy living in the Midwest where this is an annual occurrence. We sometimes take a drive to just view the landscape from afar and admire its rich colors. With all of the changes I often think of these Bible verses:
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
Isaiah 40:8 ESV
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22 ESV
The Lord and His promises are unchanging. We can take comfort in knowing that as long as we live on this earth, the seasons of God will remain. Our faith can often change, just as the seasons. We have to put in the sewing of the seeds in order to reap the benefits of harvest. The fall leaves are beautiful to look at, but they are lifeless and unproductive. We cannot be this way, or we will not bear fruit.
Waiting can be difficult, and farmers have to wait for the harvest. It takes time for seeds to grow and it takes great care to ensure that they do. Our Christian life is also this way as we have to wait on the Lord to come, and all things happen in His time. For our children this leads to discussions on patience. The seasons do not change quickly, and many times our lives are the same way. We often have to wait, and instead of complaining, we need to make the most of the time we have. Patience is indeed a great virtue.
“Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.”
James 5:7-8 CSB
Another blessing in the fall is harvest time. I absolutely love this time of year, when we can go pick apples and find the perfect pumpkin. I work at a pumpkin patch, and it gives me immense pleasure to see families enjoying their time in God’s creation. Along with the season comes that holiday of Thanksgiving, which is probably my favorite holiday. We must remember that even though we do the planting, God provides the growth and the harvest! The seasons of God reveals change, but in that change, there is lovely things to learn.
Activities to Teach about the Seasons of God in Fall
- Make a trip to the local apple orchard, corn maze, or pumpkin patch and harvest some goodies
- Take a fall walk and observe the changes – find acorns, name leaves, pick up pinecones
- Use collected leaves for art projects – leaf rubbings, painting, or make leaf people
- Rake up leaves and jump in the piles
- Make fall treats in the kitchen with apples or pumpkins – pie, butter, muffins, bread, etc. – Eat it with hot chocolate or apple cider
- Go camping, build a campfire, and roast smores, or attend a bonfire or hayride
- Attend a fall festival
- Plant flower bulbs that will bloom in spring
Winter
This is the last season of God we experience during the calendar year. The light of day is shorter, the air is dry, and the weather turns cold. We spend more time inside to avoid the frigid temperatures. I love being inside on a cold day, drinking hot chocolate, and snuggling up with my kids or husband next to a cozy fire. I feel very blessed when I hear the howling wind outside and I know I am inside safe and warm.
One of my favorite things about winter is snow!!! I absolutely love it as long as I don’t have to drive in it. It’s so much fun to play outside in the snow with my family. I have to admit that this past winter I was a bit burnt out on it, as it snowed more than it has in years. Our kids had two extra weeks of school at the end of the year to make up for all of our snow days. When it gets frustrating, I have to remind myself and the kids that the snow is necessary. In order for things to bloom in the spring, they must have moisture during the winter.
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV
One of the things I love about snow is its’ Biblical parallel to our Christian life. Our sins stain our life, and they can be washed away with the blood of Christ. Snow is white, which is seen as a symbol of purity. When I look out at the new-fallen snow, that hasn’t been disturbed by man or creature, it reminds me of how I felt after my repentance and baptism. I was now clean and pure in the Lord’s sight. I can renew this feeling each time that I pray to my Lord to forgive my sins.
This leads to some powerful discussions with my children about what I pray will be their future walk with the Lord. No matter what we do, there can always be a new beginning. We sing songs at church about this theme, based on this Bible verse.
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.
Isaiah 1:18 NKJV
We try to focus on the blessings of each seasons of God, instead of being impatient for the next. Winter seems to last longer than the other seasons, and it’s easy to get discouraged during the cloudy and cold days. We have to remember, that as the Lord says, the seasons are constant, and spring will be here before we know it.
For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land.
Song of Solomon 2:11-12 NKJV
Activities to Teach about the Seasons of God in Winter
- Play outside in the snow – snowball fight, build a snowman or a snow fort, or make snow angels
- Make paper snowflakes, shaving cream snow pictures, or a bird feeder
- Make snow ice cream
- Surprise someone by shoveling their driveway and or sidewalk
- Have a pajama day where you drink hot cocoa, eat popcorn, and watch movies under the blankets
- Go ice skating, sledding, snow tubing, or skiing
Teaching the Seasons of God
What other activities would you do with your children to teach about the seasons of God? There are so many wonderful ways to infuse learning and life into your children! All these can be done as a family, which is an added bonus! God has given us such beauty in the seasons of God Enjoy them together as a family as you learn more about your sustainer and creator!
A Little More About Shannon
My name is Shannon, and I’m the Christian mom of a beautiful preteen daughter and a teenage son. I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for 15 years. I’m starting this blog as a way of reaching out to other moms and professionals. My career, before being a wife and mom, was in education. I love teaching, and taught kindergarten for 7 years until the Lord blessed us with an addition to our family. Since then I’ve always done something related to working with kids – classes at church, teaching preschool, substituting, and the list goes on….. Over the years I have read many helpful blogs that were an inspiration to me. I decided that at this point in my life, as my kids are busier and more independent, maybe it’s time to reverse the roles and see if I can help others with my blog.
Each and every woman is a homemaker of some kind, even if you are single or no longer have children at home. It takes a lot of care and attention to make a house into a HOME!! God gave women the role of taking care of others as we tend to be nurturers, but sometimes it is a challenging job. We often forget to take care of ourselves along the way. Our heart must be in the right place – as a Christian, a friend, a wife, a mother, daughter, whatever roles you find yourself in. We wear so many hats and are often being pulled in several different directions at the same time. It can be helpful to know that others are going through the same struggles, and gain encouragement from one another.
May God bless you on this journey we call LIFE and may your heart and home be FULL!!!
Find my blog at https://www.heartofahomemaker.com/
or connect with me at https://www.facebook.com/heartofahomemaker/