I’m fortunate to have a little boat, which I use to fly fish in saltwater during the summer months. I love getting out on the water at first light, when there aren’t many boats out yet, and when the striped bass are often feeding! When the fall comes, I have mixed feelings about the season coming to an end. It goes by quickly here in New England, so it’s kind of sad to pull the boat out of the water and put it away for the winter. But it also feels like something of a relief. Do you know what I mean?

If you’re a gardener, do you find some satisfaction and even comfort in putting your garden to bed for the winter? Isn’t it a relief to not have to worry about pulling weeds and processing flowers or vegetables during the winter months? As those wise words in Ecclesiastes put it, “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”

A month ago I was cleaning and winterizing my boat before putting it away. I couldn’t remember if I was supposed to change the engine oil in the fall or in the spring, so I looked that up online. I found a boater’s forum which answered my question (in the fall, so you don’t store the motor with dirty oil in it). But several Florida boaters had chimed in, saying things like, “I’m glad I don’t have to stop using my boat in winter! I get to use it year ‘round!” This got me thinking, and I realized I’m actually glad I don’t have my boat in the water all year—because I’d feel compelled to be going out on it! And I love the invitation of the colder months, to be indoors, cozy with cup of tea and a book, or working on some project.

In these late-November days I’m struck by how early the sun is setting. These short days make me appreciate even more the opportunity to get outdoors. Earlier today I cleaned leaves out of our gutters, and did some raking, and it felt good, on a chilly day, to work enough that I felt warmed from the inside. These seasonal chores ground me in this place and this moment, and they make me glad. Especially because they only last for a limited amount of time! Before too long, we’ll be shoveling snow! And not too long after that, the days will be getting longer again, and I’ll be dreaming of uncovering the boat and getting ready for fishing season. I love how, here in New England, just about the time I’m getting tired of one season, it gives way to the next one.

For every thing, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. And it is good, isn’t it?