A New Season

The season is changing. Winter is giving way to spring in unpredictable weather mood swings. One day, I need my ear warmers and hoodie, and the very next day, I can wear flip flops (which I happily do). I toggle back and forth between heat and cool on the thermostat. I remember to flip my porch sign to the side that says “He is Risen” to signal the beginning of Lent.  The signs are all around that a shift is in process.

The thing that sucks about the changing seasons is the uncertainty. I cannot just exit the house before checking the weather forecast. Well, I could. But doing that has the potential for me to be overdressed and sweating or underdressed and wishing for my hoodie. Thankfully with all the technology we have, a quick swipe on my weather app lets me know what I need to put on to prepare for this confusing transition of seasons.

Uncertainty also rears its head when there is a shift in the emotional and spiritual seasons of my life. Unlike weather seasons, emotional and spiritual seasons are not pinned down by a calendar. Some seasons go by lightning-fast and others drag on almost indefinitely. Then there are the fun times when seasons are shifting and changing. The times when I go from hot to cold to something in between. The times when the clash of temperatures creates an emotional tornado and leaves destruction in their wake.

Hmmm…should I say destruction? Or an opportunity to start over with a clean slate? Should I use the word renew? Refresh? Revive? I think any of those will do for me. I am walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but I see light. It is not as dark as it was. And as crazy as it sounds, that is unsettling. It has been dark around here for so long that the light makes me shield my eyes. But even though I throw my hands up to adjust to the brightness, I have not stopped walking towards the light. I keep walking towards my new season.

Although many things are uncertain, one thing is for sure for me “I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalms 23:17).” Clearly, I will have to adjust to this new season of my life, but the Lord knows that I am ready to get there. If you have been in a dark season, trust and believe that you will not be there always. Seasons change. Seasons shift. You should be in your flip-flops soon. #wepreach