Seasons
I've mentioned before my love for fall. My heart is drawn to the change of seasons. The surprise of weather that every day brings, I love the crisp cool mornings and warm afternoons. The rainy days that signal the nearing cold weather. Nature is actviely preparing itself for the deep slumber of winter. It's magical to me. It sends my mind deep into my soul.
Last Friday, life brought a rain down on my life. Not a heavy thunderstorm of grief, but the drizzle of sadness that reminded me that, again, I am in a season of change. Nothing colossal happened. Nothing that I can't overcome. That small shower washed away some of the illusions of my mind, my heart. Like chalk drawings on a sidewalk, the confidences of "always" were washed away.
My life will never look the same as it did before we began this new season. The Lord has brought many people into my three decades of life. He's beautifully woven them into my experience to draw me closer to Himself. Some of those people served for a moment and changed me for a lifetime. Their value is lasting regardless of their role today. Others will seemingly never cease from actively partnering with me through life. But just as hot summer days and dark winter nights seems to never end, those relationships, too, will change in time. Their value, however, will never be dimmed.
My role is to sit back and deeply, intentionally drink up the rich blessings of today. To take in all I can from the richness of every moment all the while knowing that today is fleeting. The rain of hurt brings with it the sweet blessing of knowing that I paused long enough to love and be loved. The change of seasons does not mean that love is gone or that it was never truly there. Quite the opposite really. The change of seasons allow us to refocus, to pause and remember how blessed we truly are.
As I watch the seasons run their course, I'm acutely aware that we all change. Perhaps not as obviously as the seasons, but we do change and grow. Looking back over months and years, we can notice how we are not the same person who started this journey. Other times, we can look back at a single moment and realize we are now on a different path. The rains of fear and hurt bring forth the growth of trust in our souls if we allow Him to work in us.
Yesterday brought sunshine on my soul, but in that I was able to see the debris from the rain. And debris always brings with it a choice. Do you gather yourself, pick up the pieces and rebuild? Or do you gather yourself, remember- with gratitude- the good times, and move on? The depth of my hurt from this small incident made it seem obvious that I needed to rebuild right where I was. My initial reaction was to work at putting it all back, but the reality of the seasons reminded me. Change has come. I'm not right where I was. It's time to move on.
My life will never look the same as it did before we began this new season. The Lord has brought many people into my three decades of life. He's beautifully woven them into my experience to draw me closer to Himself. Some of those people served for a moment and changed me for a lifetime. Their value is lasting regardless of their role today. Others will seemingly never cease from actively partnering with me through life. But just as hot summer days and dark winter nights seems to never end, those relationships, too, will change in time. Their value, however, will never be dimmed.
My role is to sit back and deeply, intentionally drink up the rich blessings of today. To take in all I can from the richness of every moment all the while knowing that today is fleeting. The rain of hurt brings with it the sweet blessing of knowing that I paused long enough to love and be loved. The change of seasons does not mean that love is gone or that it was never truly there. Quite the opposite really. The change of seasons allow us to refocus, to pause and remember how blessed we truly are.
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