Seasons of Change

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us that there is a time for everything. These are the different seasons of our life; each season is a chance for change. Ecclesiastes states it perfectly by saying, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. 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 be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

Change is a natural part of our lives. Sometimes we embrace that change and sometimes we are resistant to it. However, we need to realize that it is a part of who we are and even who we want to become. Each change that we go through has the ability to modify or shift something within us. Those changes can either tear us down if we allow them, or we can use them as stepping stones to get us to the next phase of our life.

It can certainly be considered a matter of perspective, though. Sure, everyone needs a mourning period. That’s a natural part of changing your mindset. It’s almost like the stages of grief. In healthline.com, it states that “According to Kubler-Ross, the five stages of grief are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.” I know that I had felt all of those emotions when I was going through my own season of change with my career. Realize though that grief has different meanings for different people and no two people grieve the same. The way that you cope with what you are going through will be different from others but realize that it’s okay. My whole point is that there is a time for everything. Nothing stays the same, even though it would be nice if it did sometimes! We all get those bumps in the road. Just remember that you are never, ever alone in your journey. (Related post: Traversing the hills and valleys of life with grace)

So, what did I learn from this? I am so much stronger from the trials that I have gone through. I talked to so many people about what I was going through and I felt the power of their prayers over me. I also realize that God was with me the whole time and He carried me when I was at my weakest. I knew that once I got through that, then I could get through anything.

What can you gain from this? Please don’t feel as though you need to go through your pain by yourself. Reach out for help. I had gone to a therapist. It allowed me to talk about what I was feeling and why. I also realized that the answers were inside of me all along. You need to be true to yourself. You need to be honest with yourself. It’s not easy. I get it. Answer this question, would you rather be weighed down with grief or released from its grip? Only you can answer that question. However, I know which one I would choose every time now and I will tell you that it ended up being a very freeing decision.