I am so happy to be back to blogging. I took a break this summer as I was crunching in a couple of grad school classes but I have missed so much the chance to put in writing the things that God is so sweetly speaking to me. This summer, God did not fail to teach me and speak to me even through the busiest times. He is good and faithful like that.
One of the lines that I keep on hearing and that has been rolling around in my head is a "remember when" season. We all have them, good or bad, overwhelming or small, they come in and out of our life like waves. I think about these seasons through life, for couples it is, "Remember when we met? Remember our first date?" For parents it is, "Remember when they were that small? Remember her first steps?" And of course each of us have our own seasons that are unique to our lives.
One of my first lessons on a "remember when" season happened this summer. I was walking one evening and praying about how on earth Ty and I were going to make it through the summer and this upcoming year. I have mentioned before that we are both in school and working full time. From the world's viewpoint and without God's perspective that looks something like this:
Full time work + college education + marriage = not seeing each other and very little money.
LAME and completely scary for a newlywed couple who just bought their first house!
As I walked, God put in my heart so clearly that we were in a "remember when" season. This will be a time that Tyler and I will look back and say "Remember when we were both in school and working ... " I started thinking about these words and remembering all my "remember when" seasons. Looking back, God brought good through each of my seasons. Of course good came from good seasons, but even through the tough ones, God brought good. I grew, my faith increased, thankfulness increased, love for others increased, my relationship with the Lord strengthened, my marriage grew deeper, my friendships taken to a new level, I was removed from harm, protected, I experienced comfort, the list goes on and on. Think back on your seasons and what good God brought from those times.
Romans 8:28 states:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
As you can tell from my above formula, "What good are you working through this, God?" is definitely not always my heart or my mouth's first response, especially in a hard season. I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that it is not the first response of many of us. I lovingly call my first response the initial "freak-out" phase. Sure, it's a little humbling for me to write about, but what the heck, why not just throw it all out there? ;) Phase one can look like many things for me. It ranges anywhere from "stressed out, leave me alone, why me, I don't deserve this, what's going to happen? what could happen?, they don't know what I am going through, they can't relate to me, pity-party throwing, this will never end, a positive attitude won't make this any better, I could cry at any minute and yes I will just lay in this bed, say what I want, dare I say- eat what I want, RESPONSE! This can be inward or outward... but many times, it's there.
It doesn't take much time in prayer or in the word of God to know that this is not the heart or life that God has for us! The above verse is a statement of
faith. A statement of a powerful and good God who is constantly working good on your, on my, behalf. It may not always be my first response to a hard season but I pray God trains my heart and mind so that it is. God's word is so good. There is power in His word. It is living. When meditated on and spoken, it transforms the mind and heart. It can literally
change who you are and begin to change your first response.
By the end of that walk I was excited for this upcoming time period. I had thought about how God had worked through all my other seasons both good and bad. What he brought through tears and sorrow and through the joy and excitement of my life. My thoughts were now, "Wow, what good is God going to work for us?" My first formula was created by my own fear and what the world believes. But God gives another formula.
Full time work + college education + marriage = not seeing each other and very little money.
Full time work + college education + marriage = new appreciation and love for my husband, opportunity, valued time, better time management, learning to lean on God for all things, seeing God financially provide and so much more. We are through summer and into the school year and God has provided for us in so many ways and I know He will do the same for you. His word is true, He brings good from the hard times. I pray that we can recognize our "remember when" seasons while we are going through them; that we may take full advantage of what God is doing in our hearts and lives. He is such a sweet God.
A pastor I listened to recently said that it is when we are going through something difficult, God seems like only a whisper away; that God graces us with an intimacy with Him that only comes through these times. I loved this thought and am still letting it sink in. I pray that we can let God's word change our hearts and responses to the hard stuff in this world and that we see the "remember when" season while we are right in the middle of it.
