Words that Inspire

The season has just changed from summer to autumn and I find myself in a reflective state of mind. Something about the change in weather is making me think of life’s seasons and all that has happened for me and to me in 2021. Truly, there is a time for everything.

Life’s Seasons

Most of the time when I have heard people talk about life’s seasons, they are referring to the cycle of life: birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, death. Spring usually signifies birth, summer is for childhood through adulthood, autumn is when you are elderly and winter is the end. However, when you think about it, within each year of your life, there are seasons. I have gone through many seasons and for the past few years, it has felt as if I have been in the same season for a very long time. I have been waiting on God for a lot, for a long time. Thank God for his goodness and mercy, because this year, a new season finally began for me. 

Old Season Activities

It does mean that I have had to stop and assess my activities from before my new season. When things started to change in my life, I found myself struggling to hang onto things from before the change happened. In this new season, I got a job that I had desperately prayed for. While seeking and waiting for this job, I had a number of hustles I worked on that kept body and soul together. Most of them I worked on for at least 5 years. 

With my job prayer answered, I found myself struggling to both maintain work and keep doing the side jobs I used to do and the difficulty at balancing everything started to make me anxious. 

It took me a while to realize and understand, then when a new season comes, some patterns, behaviors, people, activities, etc, need to be discarded or paused – just like our seasonal clothing. When winter comes, the summer clothes are stored away or donated and winter clothes are purchased or upgraded for the new season. 

There is a season for everything!

It took me a while to press pause on certain things and completely give up others. It hurt a bit, because these hustles have been my source of livelihood and sort of companions for a number of years. A few weeks out from making that decision, I feel much better, less anxious and refreshed. I even have space to think of and plan new ideas for the future. 

So far, that is my take away. When new seasons come along, a thorough assessment needs to be made on what is being kept, what is being discarded, and what should be temporarily stored away. It’s just like Ecclesiastes 3: 1- 8 tells us. There is a time for everything. When the time for something has passed, move on to the new thing without holding onto the past. Trust me, as difficult as it may be, doing it will make you feel much better – spiritually, emotionally and mentally.