Dear Friend,
Happy Thursday! Today I woke up reflecting on the last few years of my life, and I can see how seasonal life truly is. In my case, where I live is seasonal, what I do is seasonal, my dress size is seasonal, my style is seasonal, and how I think is seasonal. Essentially, nothing will be the same forever, and I'm sure if you look at your life closely enough, you can say the same.
While I think this is something we all understand, the hardest thing I've ever had to reconcile with was that God would schedule seasons of suffering for me. I know in the faith, we like to believe that anything hard happening wouldn't be of God, but what if it is? What if He scheduled your season of hardship? What if He is molding you on the potter's wheel?
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. (Ecc 3:1-8)
You've probably heard this before, but 2021-2022 was a difficult season for me. The level of pain I walked through was definitely unbearable, and I wouldn't wish it on my enemy because I was in a fight for my life. Looking back, I don't think I've ever felt that pain before, and I walked through it soberly. I knew I needed to feel it, and so I did.
Over the past few years, I've been experiencing the not rewarding parts of the Scripture. I've been uprooted, killed (metaphorically), torn down, wept, mourned, scattered, refrained from embrace, given up, thrown away, silent, hated, and warred. What I'm trying to get you to understand is that the last five years of my life have not been a crystal stair.
However, I'm writing to you now because that season is ending for me. We all know that July is the month of completion because that's what seven represents in the Bible, and my 5-year suffering season ends on July 31st. Friend, this is more than a notion.
I'm telling you this because I know you will rejoice with me, but also to encourage you to go through your season. If you are suffering, just know that we all have seasons where we walk through the fire.
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. (John 15:2)
I know the church has conditioned us to believe that there will only be seasons of blessings, but that's not true. Matthew 5:45 tells us that it rains on the just and the unjust, or as the NIV phrases it: "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
Is this season just your turn to suffer? Is this season your turn to be pruned? If so, how will you handle it?
Last week, I recorded a podcast on seasons of pain where I also spoke about the courage to become who God created us to be. I hope you'll check it out and be encouraged!
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