I was on my way to church recently when I came upon an intersection I have passed hundreds of times before. The light flashed green, so I went straight, but I fought the urge to turn right into the parking lot where I used to work. It still feels strange driving by and not turning in. But I digress.
As I glanced to the right and saw other cars turning onto the busy street, I remembered the late nights of work, the pressure of being in management and making sure that we were making bank. I recalled being constantly tired of juggling working and homeschooling, missing dinner, bedtime, and too many cuddles. A flash of relief washed over me. I was beyond grateful that God gave me the ability to quit my job and work from home as a writer.
'Thank you, Lord, that I don't have to go there anymore.'
No sooner had I prayed than I felt a pang of guilt. After all, that job hadn't always been a burden. It was also the workplace that allowed me to bring my son with me and permitted him to attend the program for free! It was the place where I was empowered to work in management for the first time, where I had my own office and a space to clear my mind and work quietly. It was the first job where I didn't have to worry as much about money.
It had been a blessing God had given me for a specific season, and at the right time, he'd fulfilled my heart's desire by allowing me to be home with my son. To be fair, there were several things that had to happen before I could make the jump to leave my office life behind and come home. The way the Lord brought it to be at precisely the right time is a beautiful story for another day (because, let’s face it, you have better things to do than spend all day on my blog). But I promise you, it was epic, and it was all in His timing! That realization brought a new prayer to my mind.
'Thank you that I was there, and thank you that I'm not there anymore.'
We go through different seasons in life, and God brings his children where we need to be at the right time. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says:
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together,
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace."
There are many seasons in our lives, just like the seasons of the year, and it's crucial to remember that every season is purposeful. It's also everchanging. You may go from working at the office to working at home like me, or it could be that you're going from being a stay-at-home mom to being an empty-nester or from having a flourishing career to retiring. Perhaps you're eager to "level up" to the next big thing, or maybe you're clinging tightly to this phase, and you're terrified of what comes next.
Whichever season of life you find yourself in, I hope you're encouraged as I am that every season serves a good purpose and that God wastes nothing. Just as summer won't last forever and will eventually give way to Autumn (or so the Texas meteorologists keep promising), your life and mine will also turn in beautiful symphony at the hands of a good God who gives us what we need all in due season.