Lifes Seasons

Just as there are with the earth our lives have seasons too. For the last several years I have been in a season of suffering. It seems like we have had nonstop troubles and difficulties arise. God has taught me so much through them. He has taught me about faith. He has taught me about His character. He has taught me how to get through things by putting focus on Him. And mostly He has taught me about His timing and His will. 

Drowning, I was drowning in all my worries. I literally felt as if I could not breath. I was just trying to make it by and to keep my head above water but waves of troubles came at me. I tried so hard to not give in. I spent most of my time and efforts trying to stay above the water and the times when I had nothing left I would scream out to my savior. "Help me Lord, I am drowning." There was no response. I tried to call out again, "Lord, I can't do it. Help." Still there was no response. My heart felt as defeated as my body was. Where was God? Why was He not answering me? 

Through times like those God had taught me a couple things. One- He is always there with me. God never abandons us but we so often abandon Him.  Two- He is in control of everything. God knows the troubles. Just as Jesus calmed the waves and winds when He and the disciples were on the boat He can calm the ones in my  life.  Three- God had given me the tools I needed to stay afloat but I had not prepared myself with them. If I had placed scriptures on my heart, just as one would place a life jacket on his or her body, I would have been lifted above the waves troubles. He had given me fellow believers to train with and reach out to. Four- God loves me. All that time I was just staying above water I didn't realize that it was God keeping me above water. If I had truly been alone I would have been swallowed up. As I started to see the truth I became stronger. God used those times to build me up and prepare me for future waves. When I took swimming lesson in high school the teacher had us practice saving a person who is drowning. We talked about how much harder it is to save a person who is in panic; thrashing about, who doesn't listen to your instruction, and who has no faith in you saving them. That person makes it more difficult to save them. Where as a person who trusts in you, heeds your instructions, and doesn't try to do it on their own gets saved so much quicker. I wonder how many times God was saving me and I just wasn't listening or trusting Him. 

God has begun to change the season that I am in. I can see and feel the connection that I have with God. I see Him moving in my life and in the life of my family. I don't know how long this season will be but even if it is just for a moment, I am so thankful for the time of rest. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

A Time for Everything

 ¹ There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

 ⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

Romans 5:1-5

Peace and Hope

 ¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.