Seasons
Lately I've been stuck on the idea of seasons – the process of them. No, not because of the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life event on Netflix, which covers winter, spring, summer and fall. It has been on my heart, because God has been showing me that in my own life; there is a season for everything.
People. Work. Challenges. Successes. Failures. Obstacles. Anything else you can imagine, because things take time. There is beauty in waiting. Growing. Becoming.
Luke 8 is the Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed. The parable talks about the seed and the importance of where it lands – the various soils/foundations it falls on, and what became of it.
“The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for awhile, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.”
I’m an impatient person. I like to do things fast and get to the next task before the last one is even finished. I’m always rushing from one thing to the next, but recently God has taught me the importance of savoring. You know when you’re eating dessert and while you might’ve given yourself a brain freeze for eating the ice cream too fast, towards the end you want to make those last few bites last? It’s the same thing with life. I’ve noticed that when I rush at work or on my own projects, that’s when I tend to make the most mistakes – I don’t catch glaring errors that I would’ve noticed had I taken more time to look at the document. The same is with life, we learn more in the waiting periods.
A couple years ago, I was eager for the season to change, though I can’t remember which one I was trying to get to now. And I heard God say, Enjoy the season you’re in. I knew He wasn’t just talking about the weather or the transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving or whatever occasion I was anticipating. He was talking about the circumstances that I face and often want to avoid or rush through, like getting through school or working through friendships and other relationships. It’s cliché to say that there’s a reason for everything, but I truly believe that is the case.
Our God is a God of processes, complete with stretching and growing pains. The analogy of a pregnant mother has come up several times in the past year, and I think it’s the best way to accurately depict the beauty of struggle and pain. Over the course of nine months, a woman’s body stretches and changes in a natural process in order to make room for the life growing inside of her. At the end, she goes into labor and gives birth to a precious baby. That’s what God does with our lives when we are committed to the process and the plan He has for us. This route often means taking the roads less traveled by and learning a lot more lessons along the way. When I look back at situations when I felt like things were never going to change at work, I look back and now see how God’s hand was in it the entire time.
Awhile back, I read the book, “The Road To Becoming” by Jenny Simmons, a singer from the former Christian band, Addison Road. In the book, she talks about the struggles and challenges she faced with her dream and the calling God had placed on her heart. In the end, life doesn’t always look like the pretty and perfect package or the movie reel we had playing in our heads. While I practically highlighted most of the book, there were a couple passages that really stood out to me after I finished reading entirely. Both come from a story that her friend wrote in her book. Ultimately, we might never get the ending that we’re looking for on earth. If that’s the case, we have to ask ourselves…“If God doesn’t step in and divinely change where I find myself on this piece of broken earth, do I still trust Him? Can I still live my story well? Perhaps, she suggested, an answered prayer is not the answer after all. Perhaps Jesus Himself is the only answer we will ever get.” WHOA.
The second passage was this:
“Maybe the answer isn’t ever getting the answer, but getting the Savior. Emmanuel, God with us. The way, the Lamp unto my feet and Light unto my path, the One who is teaching me joy, peace and purpose in the midst of my broken pieces of earth. Once we have arrived, with answers in hand and pretty bows, we no longer feel the urgent need to abide by in the rich nourishment and companionship of the Savior. And what a loss it would be give up rich companionship with God because I ‘arrive’ and no longer find myself in need of the vine. I like it this way, the not-quite-arrived way. It is here that I have learned to live alongside Christ – free and full. If I have come to know anything new during this season of becoming, it is this: more often than not, we do not get the answer we want. It is in the midst of those less-than-perfect endings that my pastor’s question stands as a stark call to faith. Can I live my story well even if ______ doesn’t happen?”
God is a jealous God. He wants our time – to spend time with us, and He uses the circumstances, that are sometimes unfortunate, to get our attention. In the end, it’s about where we plant our seed. The foundation that we build our house upon. My friend, Viviyan gave a Bible study about this awhile back, and mentioned that God used plants/crops/harvesting as analogies a lot, because like our relationship with God, it is a continual process. Tending to the garden is a daily process. Just like a garden or plant needs water, sunlight and nourishment, so do we. So do our hearts, minds and overall well-being.
Am I okay if I don’t get the husband I’ve prayed about? Am I okay if I never move to Nashville? Am I okay if I never get that dream job? Will I still sing God’s praises just as much? Will I still trust and live my life for Him? That’s the ultimate test.
It isn’t about the prayer itself. It’s about the journey that comes as you pray. Trusting in God – having faith in Him and growing in your relationship with Him. Regardless of what comes to pass.