Hoping for a New Season

Don’t discount past seasons, just because THIS season has more:

✨Peace

✨Growth

✨Community

✨Clarity

And so on....

Each season has its purpose, right?

I’m not sure why but I have a tendency to look down upon old seasons, friendships, and even careers....not just for the sake of it, but it’s as if I forget the beauty of those things due to my gaze being set on the here and now.

Let me give you an example real quick:

Anyone else love shoes? 🙋🏽‍♀️ I mean, loooooovvvvveeee them, like clean them with a toothbrush kind of love lol. Well, that used to be me. I had so many shoes and I lllllllooooovvvveeedddd them! I have since given that lifestyle up in favor of comfort lol.

But my shoes lovers know what it’s like to get that new pair. It’s almost as if the old ones don’t even exist anymore. Shoot, they don’t have the gems on them like these new ones do! They aren’t as white as the new ones, and while they may be less comfortable they are most definitely the new favorite. All outfits MUST be coordinated around these new shoes! That is until, there’s an occasion that calls for the comfort, or colors, or style of one of the other shoes. Then the new pair is placed on the shelf and becomes apart of the arsenal, but remains the favorite of course....until another new pair comes along.

Do you ever find yourself doing that? Maybe not with shoes, but what about seasons, people, jobs, cities, or even Churches?

Do you place them on the backburner until they’re needed? Do you discount their worth or the gifts and even skills they provided in past seasons?

Sadly I do!

Something that’s been on heart lately is the question:

“Do we really have to down the past in order to speak on the joy of the present?”

We can enjoy the fruit of our labor from past seasons without wishing we never labored in the first place. It doesn’t make the fruit any less sweet to acknowledge the necessity of the past...we wouldn’t be here without it, right?

We wouldn’t have figured out what we desire in a friendship if it weren’t for those not so easy friendships. We wouldn’t have needed to make a change if everything went well at our old church. We never would have realized nor received the grace and mercy for others, not to mention forgiveness...if we never had a need to extend it.

I guess what I’m saying is...I’m learning to STOP criticizing my past and the “lack” from those seasons.

Life is a journey, I needed those people, situations, and even my imperfections to learn and grow!

Heck, I’m sure I’ll look back on this season and see things quite differently...but my hope is that I’ll be grateful for what it gave me instead of beating it down for the things I wasn’t prepared to have YET, anyway! Some seasons have a lot of prep work in them...some have more foundational things, others are filled with immense growth and elevation.

Instead of fighting our past let’s:

✨Embrace those seasons by stepping away from the criticism and extending grace to ourselves and others from that point in time!

✨Give God thanks for the much needed preparation for THIS season and the many to come!

✨Give God the criticisms for both past and present seasons and ask what His desires are for us this season, so we can begin to align our hearts and minds with it!

Until next time, don’t run from the hard stuff, stay in that place and allow God to take out what doesn’t belong and instill what is needed.

Love y’all!

See ya in 2021 🎉