THE SEASON IS HERE!

Finally, at last, James had been granted his Canadian visa. A dream come true.

“It has taken HIM almost four years to get there,” he thought. For years he had applied—first to the United States, then to Britain, and then to Canada. Each time his hopes had been dashed with rejection. Meanwhile, some of his friends succeeded and traveled abroad. But James held onto hope. There is indeed “a time to fail and a time to succeed.” At last, his season had arrived.

In August, he boarded a Swiss Air flight bound for Canada. After spending the night in Zurich, he continued to Toronto. The airport was so vast that he lost his way and missed his connecting flight to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Since the delay was not the airline’s fault, he had to pay for a hotel overnight. By the next day, however, he was finally on his way.

Upon arrival in Thunder Bay, he called for a taxi to take him to Confederation College, where he was warmly welcomed and given a room to share with a roommate. He settled into student life. The warm weather of August felt pleasant, but soon he noticed something strange—white flakes falling from the sky. Snow. Though he had seen it only on TV and advertisements for winter jackets, now he was experiencing it firsthand. But James thought little of it. He assumed it was nothing to worry about since he only had to walk short distances to class.

One evening in January, he visited a friend in town and stayed out too late. He missed the last bus back to Sibley Hall, his residence. Another driver offered to take him only as far as the Thunder Bay Transit terminal. From there, James decided to walk home. He had no idea how dangerous that decision would be.

It was around 11 p.m., and the night was bitterly cold—close to -20°C. James had never walked the route before and underestimated the distance. After about 45 minutes, his strength failed. His ears, fingers, and body stiffened in the freezing wind. Fear gripped him. He thought of a man whose body had once been found frozen on a Winnipeg street, and he trembled at the thought that the same fate awaited him.

In desperation, he waved at a passing car, but the driver sped away, likely thinking he was out of his mind. Exhausted and confused, James considered turning back, but it was too late. His body was shutting down. Then, almost miraculously, he spotted a sign half-buried in snow: Confederation College. God had led him to safety. He stumbled forward through the forks in the road until he reached Sibley Hall.

When he entered his room, his roommate, Marc Pelland, told him the radio had announced the outdoor temperature that night: minus twenty degrees Celsius. James thought he might lose parts of his body to frostbite, but by God’s grace, he had survived.

This story is a warning. James underestimated the winter season. He ignored the signs, was careless, and almost paid with his life. Yet God’s grace intervened.

A Time for Everything

The Scriptures remind us:

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Life unfolds in times and seasons. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to speak and a time to remain silent.

Seasons can be natural—spring, summer, autumn, winter—or spiritual. Sometimes life feels like the blossoming of spring, sometimes like the barrenness of winter. But seasons are never meaningless. They are part of God’s order.

King Solomon, though the wisest man of his day, discovered that wealth and wisdom alone could not sustain true happiness. His joy was complete only when he walked with God. The book of Ecclesiastes teaches us that life, seen only through human philosophy, may appear meaningless. But through spiritual eyes, it is full of purpose—because it is directed by God’s sovereign hand.

We must recognize the seasons of our lives and act wisely. Negligence, like James displayed, can bring sorrow. Wisdom teaches us when to plant, when to reap, when to speak, and when to keep silent. Above all, wisdom teaches us to trust God’s timing.

Discern the Signs of the Times

In the days of Jesus’ first coming, the scribes and Pharisees knew the Scriptures but failed to recognize the season of Messiah’s arrival. Prophecy was being fulfilled before their very eyes, yet they were blind. Only a few, like Nathaniel and Peter, discerned the time and confessed, “You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders:

“You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:3)

Today, many people still fail to discern the season. Just as James looked at the bus schedule but did not see the signs, many read the Bible without recognizing the urgency of our time. The winds of prophecy are blowing—the political, economic, religious, and military storms. The pandemic has shaken the world like the plagues of Egypt. These are the signs of the season.

The second coming of Christ is at hand. Time is slipping into eternity. What garment are you wearing in this season? James nearly perished because he was not properly clothed for the winter. Likewise, many today are not clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Jesus told the parable of the wedding feast: one man was found without a wedding garment and was cast out. (Matthew 22:1–14) Don’t be caught unprepared. Put on the robe of righteousness, which Christ freely offers.

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness.” (Isaiah 61:10)