What’s Your Season?

Posted on 11.06.06 in Faith and there are 10 comments.

This past weekend I attended a women’s conference at my church.

Honestly, I didn’t really want to go. I’m not much of a girly girl, so all-women events usually leave me huddled, rocking in the fetal position in the corner dreaming of the safe confines of Best Buy where I don’t have to say things like, “Oh, aren’t those centerpieces cute?” or “You look great! Have you lost weight?” or “What an adorable purse!”

As it always seems to go, though, what I dreaded I ended up enjoying. It was wonderful to spend hours upon hours of uninterrupted time focused on God. I went to some excellent sessions and had a great time of worship.

I’ve been feeling like this is a season change in my life and I really wanted God’s clear direction for this next phase so at the conference I spent a lot of time praying about that. Actually, I spent a lot of time listening.

(It’s hard to listen, isn’t it? Sometimes I just find myself filling air with all my questions and then feeling self righteous about the amount of time I “prayed.” But then I remember that, “Listening is more than just waiting for your turn to talk.” I wonder if God is sometimes just trying to get a word in edgewise. I wonder if we’d have the answers to our questions a lot sooner if we’d just stop talking.)

I enjoyed listening. I really felt like God gave me some clear direction and vision for this season of my life. Here are the highlights:

1. Listening - I think this will be a season where I will learn to listen to others better. God, my husband, my children...especially my children, and others. I need to learn how to enter a conversation, not looking for a way to glorify myself, but to be impressed by others and try to direct any glory I might get to God.

2. Humility - Along those lines, I think this will be a season of humility. I want to be more concerned with His fame than mine. I want to view interactions with others as an opportunity to give encourage to them rather than just seek affirmation from them.

3. Simplicity - I need to learn to do the small things well. Laundry, thank you notes, making my house a haven for my family, being a faithful friend, being a faithful follower of Christ. Only once I’m consistent and disciplined in the believer, wife, mom, friend arenas can I add more roles to my life.

I think this will be a rich season for me. I’ll have to be conscientious about saying “no” to things and laying down my own desires for greater ones, but if my goal is change I can’t just seek comfort, right?

So, what’s your season? What has God been teaching you?

The Comments:

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I know I’m not answering your question, and I’m being obnoxious by not being able to get past your opening statement, but still… I’m always game for an inpromptu trip to Best Buy.  It can be Best Buy season too.  Sorry.

I just went there today and spent my birthday gc to buy a 1gb sd card for my palm pilot. Now I have 200 of my favorite mp3’s with me where ever I go.

There’s nothing like the smell of new technology...it just warms my heart.

I liked the things you mentioned.  I think I could use a good dose of those myself.  Except for that Husband and Children part.  Can’t say I have those.  ; )

Listening is pretty hard.  Especially if you are a problem solver like me.  The only time we can hear God is when we shut up and listen.  That might be in meditation or it might be through the mouth on of your cuties. 

Lovely post. 

Seth

btw, I haven’t forgotten about the picture.  Amber has been in L.A. with the camera and I’ll send it tomorrow or Wed.

I think humility is the key.  If you have that, most of the other things will follow.

Shakespeare had it right, for most of us: “Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York” (opening lines of Richard III)

We, in general, (myself included) have little contentment as we search for the next thing we want, the next item to cross off our list, the next . . .  That is why Point #3 - Simplicity - is so important.  Our discontent can be made into a “glorious summer” through devotion to God and not ourselves.

Personally, I constantly struggle to enjoy the season of humility.  I’m way too arrogant, way to proud and defensive.  Humility is hard.

A comment on girly girls: As another non-girly girl myself, I share your anxiety over all female events.  Becoming a stay-at-home mom has made this even more of an issue for me; my two little girls and I bathe in estrogen just about every single day and the playground, the library, women’s bible studies, church nursery, and at Walmart in the middle of the day.  And then when the small ones go to bed, other women want me to come and scrapbook or buy Tupperware or jewelry or try new make up.  Ahhhh! 

As for the seasons, your three hit close to home.  This is the season of motherhood, to hide from the accolades of the world to win quiet spiritual victories in the lives of our kids.  Perhaps by the end (not that there is one) I will figure out that those accolades were nothing to begin with.

Phil 3:7-8
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Crystal,
Are you reading my brain?

I’ve actually taken my laptop to scrapbooking parties. That made it a bit more palatable.

This is the season of motherhood, to hide from the accolades of the world to win quiet spiritual victories in the lives of our kids.  Perhaps by the end (not that there is one) I will figure out that those accolades were nothing to begin with.

Phil 3:7-8
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

You could not have said anything more encouraging to me in this season of my life. I love that verse as well, especially when applied to my children.

Thanks for sharing Crystal.

Seasons of listening are hard!  I’m trying to listen...to God, to my heart, to what people really mean to say at heart and not what I interpret.

I’m definitely in a seasonal transition myself. At this point, I’m not even sure exactly where it’s leading. It’s pretty raw right now. I’m not certain about much of anything.

I’d say your Listening, Humility, and Simplicity are all good things, and probably all apply to me during this time in some way. But as I said, I’m still a little incoherent at the present moment, and definitely feeling the effects as I try to sort out my thoughts about things.

I think maybe I’m reaching The End of Me in certain areas, exhausted by my own efforts at self-improvement, and just really burned out on sin, selfishness, and passionate devotion to worthless things. The Lord is trying to draw me into something deeper, and even though that’s really what I want, it’s like certain bad things in me are bucking hard, in the throes of death.

I’m not even sure if what I’m saying makes sense, sorry.

Amy,
You’re right, listening is hard. For me, the hardest part is actually taking the time to listen. I fill my day and my brain with just about everything else...it’s very hard for me to sit and be still and listen.

C-hammer,
That totally makes sense! Sounds like a hard but good place to be.

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