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Seasons

It wasn’t your typical staff meeting. There was some discussion on what was going on with the residents we ministered to, but the focus of this meeting was edifying the staff. Our director started off discussing how there are various seasons in our life. There are some seasons where God must cut things out of our lives and when there has to be death; these seasons are often painful and confusing. We’ve all walked through these seasons when God seemed to be weeding out everything in our lives. In these times, it is often difficult to see the purpose. It can often feel lonely and like God is abandoning or punishing us. But then follows seasons of growth and life; times when He lovingly replaces the things he cut away with newness, hope, and joy.

Most often, we see these seasons manifest through our relationships. It’s common as we grow up and move on in our lives to naturally grow apart from childhood friends and maybe even family. But there are more painful moments when people in our lives simply decide to not be apart of it anymore. I’ve had this happen on two occasions most recently and on the cusp of some very big events in my life. When friends willingly walk out of your life it leaves you questioning yourself. I was frustrated in both these instances. I felt helpless and like I was not given a chance to defend myself or even get a proper reason to at least be able to understand why this was happening. I felt selfish, wanting clarity for something I’m sure they had their valid reasons for, even if it just made sense to them. And most glaringly, I felt like I was not good enough. Like I had done something to cause them to not want me around anymore; like I had not done enough to be a good friend or a good person.

But life goes on. Seasons continue to change. God continues to prune me and bring me into new seasons of life and health and happiness. God has given me new friendships to replace the broken ones that I still struggle to not be hurt by. I may never understand why these friends walked out of my life, but I have to believe that they felt it was for their well being for whatever reason. And I have to believe that it was not a surprise to God.
God continues to remind me when the Enemy stirs up these still fresh memories in my heart that my Savior understands abandonment. On the cusp of His darkest moment, Jesus’ closest friends betrayed and abandoned Him. As He took all the sin of the world on Himself on the cross, His own Father turned away. What loneliness, heartache, and anguish this must have been. But just like Christ, God has a new season of redemption following each season of death.

What season are you in? Are you trudging through the painful season of pruning or are you enjoying the beauty of all things made new? Believe no matter where you are that God is with, for you and has something amazing on the horizon.

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