The season has officially changed. As much as I resisted it, I can’t deny the fact that my shorts and tank tops have been untouched for weeks and when I do laundry my loads are now full of sweatshirts, jeans, and full-length leggings.
It happened.
I’ve been thinking a lot about seasons lately – but not just the ones that cause the leaves to change colors. Personally, my family has been going through a really good season. We’ve been virtually unscathed by the pandemic, our kids are in that “sweet spot” where they’re old enough to be independent but still young enough that we’re not dealing with “big kid” problems, and our marriage feels easy.
Meanwhile, I’ve been walking around waiting for the other shoe to drop.
After years of hanging on by my fingernails and wondering if my prayers were getting lost in the abyss, this season feels like a sweet relief that I still can’t completely lean into.
Bottom line…I’m missing out on the joy of this season simply because I’m afraid it will end.
But it will. That’s just the nature of life. Seasons come and seasons go…but we usually only refer to the bad ones as “seasons” because that gives us a promise that they will end. We rarely acknowledge the good times as “seasons” because we don’t want to admit they’re temporary, too.
We’re always looking for something. Health. Happiness. Stability. Contentment.
Ease.
But we forget during the struggle that once we achieve those things, they’re not permanent. A new challenge will be around the next corner. There will never be a time in this life when we’ve “arrived.” When we’ve found perfection. When we’ve finally figured things out and have got everything together.
Friend, I challenge you to look at your life as a collection of seasons – and not just for the purpose of getting out of the current difficult one. Your next season might be great, but it won’t be permanent, either. Live fully in each one. Embrace the joys of the good without dreading the challenges of the next, and walk through the desolate ones knowing that they won’t last forever without idolizing what follows.
We grow during the hard times. Roots reach deeper during the drought. And when the sun shines, feel the warmth on your shoulders and embrace it for as long as it lasts without worrying about when the weather is going to change.
Take each day as it comes.
What season are you currently in?
