Seasons

Several months ago I posted this picture on Instagram. 


The caption I posted underneath it read: 

"Life is unpredictable. It changes with the seasons. Even your coldest winter happens for the best of reasons. And though it feels eternal, like all you'll ever do is freeze, I promise that spring is coming. And with it, brand new leaves." -EH

I remember the day I posted this picture vividly. Life was just not going my way and that day I was completely overwhelmed. I'm not much of a runner, but that day, I just had to get my frustration out. The night before we had an ice storm which left everything glassy looking; it was beautiful.When I got back from my run, I laid in bed and cried for a majority of the day. 

I had read this particular quote on many occasions and related so much to it. I posted this picture with so much hurt in my heart. I was in a season of heartbreak. It felt endless. I had continually chased people and things that disappointed me. I had given pieces of my heart to people who didn't care for it well. While I trusted the Lord and was confident in His plan for my life, I felt stuck. I felt like anything and everything I did was the wrong move. I beat myself up because I wasn't perfect (who is?) I questioned if I was on the right career path. I had decided that I was better off alone. That I didn't need anyone-that life was easier to do alone. And isn't it? By doing things on my own, no one could disappoint me. No one could hurt me. No one could let me down. 

So that's how it was. Just me against the world for a couple months. But in the midst of a hard season, I constantly reminded myself, "its just a season..its just a season." "Change is coming." And that's the hope that I clung to. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." -Ecc. 3:1. And just as a waited for Winter to turn into Spring, I waited on the Lord. And you know what? He produced in me something I could have never been without Him. He creates beautiful things. As the flowers started to bloom and the trees grew back their green leaves, I started to feel my heart come back together. The Lord was faithful...in the midst of every season. 

Currently, we are all in the middle of a long, sticky summer. But in life....we are all in different seasons. Some are fresh graduates..eager to start college in the fall or still searching for a job. Some have found jobs and are fully embracing adulthood. Some are engaged to be married. Some are new parents. To some, parenting is nothing new. Some are empty nesters. Whatever season you are in, the Lord is faithful. He does not leave us shivering in the cold winter, wondering when it will be warm again. He wraps us up in a blanket and holds us close. Even when we feel like nothing is going right, the Lord is directing our footsteps "A person's steps are directed by the Lord." -Proverbs 20:24. There is hope. There is another quote that has gotten me through the difficult seasons, 

"The bad news: nothing last forever.
The good news: nothing last forever."

Yes, our lives are ever-changing, but let us hold fast to the one who never changes. Hebrews 13:8 states "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." 


PS: This is something else I'm learning, there is definitely some truth to being better off alone. In some ways, it is easier and there is less hurt...but it's also true that sometimes disappointment and heartbreak teach us the best lessons. Doing life alone also means there's no one there to support you in the tough decisions and times of life. There is no one to celebrate the joy. To love is to be vulnerable. Living life and being in community brings its own set of challenges, but also its own set of happy memories. Find community, in whatever season of life you are in. Its important to find someone(s) to share the ups and the downs with. 

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