Changing Seasons

       As the seasons of the year changes so do the seasons of life. Sometimes the changes are dramatic and sudden, and other times they are gradual, then again if you live in some place like Pennsylvania, the changes can be chaotic, one day feeling like summer the next fall or winter, until eventually one season finally takes over completely. The seasons and changes in ourselves are really no different. Sometimes when one season of life is ending and another about to begin I can release the particular thing, behavior, or person immediately with no problem or hesitation. Other times I may be successful for a day or two, then fall back into it, and still other times God leads me slowly, and gently day by day away from it and into the new without me ever realizing what happened until it was out of my life.
       I started thinking on this and the parallel between the two after reading someone's post about God changing the seasons of their life; I could relate as this has been a year of transition for me, going from one season of life to the other. For a long time my husband and I have rented and buying a house was a dream. This year that dream became reality and we are now entering into a new season of life for us, owning our first home. This transition was not a smooth one but one where it felt more like a battle, at times it was summer and often it was winter and fall, but now a single season has won out and we have a home.
       This isn't the only transition I went thru though as the year progressed. This has been year where God has pruned relationships in my life, and restored others as well. As the season for one friendship or connection ended  it was soon replaced with another, often it was connection that I thought I had destroyed or badly damaged, but God is helping to heal and restore now.  As I follow His lead and let go of those connections whose season in my life have ended I have also found that I have more peace and joy. It doesn't mean that I don't care about these people, or that I hold hard feelings against them, because not all these connections were bad. I just mean that when we act in obedience with the Lord's will He blesses us, His peace and joy are confirmation that we are doing what is right, even if it is painful for a time.
       The important thing that I wanted to get across today in these examples of the shifting seasons from my life is that we have to be prepared for the changes. Changes bring growth, they bring new opportunity, but if we are too afraid to obey, too afraid to let go and move on when we are told, then we can never receive the blessings that are attached to obedience. When we hold on to things that we are supposed to release we forfeit our peace, and can make ourselves stagnate spiritually.  Both of which leave room for the enemy to work on you, because whether you realize it or not, you have pulled away from God by these actions instead of into Him. Remember, we walk by faith and not sight, and that means we have to trust God fully in every season of our life and for every step along the way. Be blessed!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Daniel 2:21
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding