Seasons of Life

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..." Ecclesiastes 3:1, NKJV

Growing up in Arizona and then Southern California, I didn't learn much about seasons. There was hot, and then hotter, and then not so hot, and then hot again. Most plants weren't in the habit of losing leaves, and on the few plants that did, the leaves usually simply turned brown and fell off. I saw photographs of different seasons in different areas of the country, but I hadn't experienced changing seasons firsthand.

Fast forward to October 2011. En route to a family reunion, my mother and I visited friends and relatives in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. I left balmy beach weather behind and reveled in crisp autumn breezes, wide open skies, and trees that wore a wide spectrum of beautiful hues. I saw cornfields that stretched as far as the eye could see and sunsets that were even bigger. Most importantly, however, was what I heard. Amidst the crickets and cicadas, louder than the voices of friends and family, softer than the summer rain, I heard a still, small voice. A voice that declared a purpose over me, a call to submission, a challenge.

And so, five months later, I hugged goodbye to the dearest people on earth to me and set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

And five months after that, I need a daily reminder that it is an adventure, a season. I am ashamed to admit that I so easily lose my focus on the reason why I am here. When I take my eyes off the One who placed me here and His purpose for me, it's easy to get distracted with lonely days, lonely nights, and unfamiliar places and faces. Yet it seems that the whole reason I am here is to get away from distractions and grow in my faith while on my own.

I can certainly say that my walk with Christ is different now than it used to be. Living on my own and being a self-sufficient adult has made me truly realize my own insufficiency. Surviving on a paycheck, budgeting every penny, and being responsible for all my own bills are concepts that my parents wisely introduced me to at a younger age, but this time it's really real, and there's no safety net. I am learning daily to trust my Lord like never before, simply because I have never really had to before.

I'm also constantly learning other lessons, things the Lord has probably wanted to teach me for a long time but I've been too busy, distracted, or complacent to learn. Lessons such as what "love thy neighbor" really means when my neighbor actually means anyone God brings into my path. Lessons such as correctly prioritizing both my time and my money to bring Him the glory as well as survive. Lessons such as cramming three loads of laundry into one dryer to save the cost of drying each individually doesn't actually save money because then you still have wet clothes and you have to dry them again. Well, I had to learn sometime!

Since moving in March, I watched the seasons change as spring and summer appeared, bringing with them other experiences new to me such as honking geese and blinking fireflies. I look forward to a continuation of this ever-changing cycle (especially since I've never lived in snow before!), but I'm learning to savor each season and the unique perspectives and experiences it brings. I know God has great things for me farther down the road, but I'm content to wait for His timing - if moving across the country taught me anything, it's that the destination is just another stop along the journey.

♥