Posted in: Big Faith, Current Events, Growth, Overcoming, Restoration, Serving
09.23.20
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Jennifer Aufrecht
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Change of Season
I love the change of seasons, especially summer into fall. The weather gets cooler so I can pull out my favorite sweaters and soup recipes. The pool noodles, beach towels, ice cream maker, lawn chairs, tank tops and shorts get packed away for next year. It is the season of pumpkin spice everything, including my favorite pumpkin chip muffins!
With each change of season comes the opportunity to evaluate what is important to hold on to and what needs to be left behind. When I had kids at home, I would always try to find ways to carry the carefree days of summer without a strict schedule into the days of early bedtimes and homework. An evening of take out for dinner and family games kept the feeling of summer going into the fall. Hebrews 10:23 tells us to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, while Philippians 3:14 tells us to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Look for the things that are good, take inventory of the things God has taught you in one season and carry those things with you into the next. Leave behind the mistakes or anything that did not bring you closer to God.
What about this current “season” of COVID-19 and “safer at home” orders? What started in the spring, for what we thought would be a couple of weeks, carried through the summer and now into fall. Life has changed, and we keep waiting for things to return to “normal.” I don’t know about you, but God has worked in my life, and I don’t want to go back to the old normal. Prior to this season, I struggled with depression for a couple of years. In this season of less hustle and less stress, I have found more Jesus and more joy. God has worked in me and through me. I have asked Him to make me aware of needs and how I can encourage those around me. As I have concentrated on helping others, I have found that my depression has lifted, and my joy has increased. I am ready to put away the face masks, hand sanitizer and “social distancing” for a good old-fashioned hug, and I desperately want to hold fast to the changes God has made in me. More time at home has allowed me to “do first what matters most” (Rory Eldridge) while still working my job and meeting my deadlines.
What about you? As the calendar changes over to a new season (the weather in SoCal doesn’t usually get the fall weather memo until November or so), what things in your life do you need to cling to and what things need to be left behind and forgotten? What has God changed in you during this season of COVID? Have you allowed fear and worry to rule this season or has God worked in your heart to trust Him more? Don’t hurry through this season or spend the time anxiously waiting for what is next. Take some time right now to be still and grab hold of the hope and let go of everything else.
About the Author
Jennifer has been married to Randy for over 30 years and is the mom of two grown kids, Kim & Nick and daughter-in-law, SaraJane. She refuses to believe all the mother-in-law jokes she hears! In December 2022, she became "Grammy" for the first time, and life will never be the same again. Since growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she will always be a Seahawks fan. She also loves Diet Coke, chocolate, worship music, and Jesus. Especially Jesus.