I am thankful seasons change. We in Kentucky always say that if you don’t like the weather, wait a day, because it’ll change. I love that. I also love that in Kentucky, you get a “true” spring, summer, fall, and winter (even if you do feel all in one day sometimes!)
And I’m thankful the other kind of seasons change, too.
I remember when I lived 25 minutes from “town” and was homeschooling four daughters- the younger two who were learning English, the older two who would have liked to have been involved in more community than we could work out. I remember every half hour of the day being booked in a puzzle of a schedule so that I could meet with my “students” for big group, small group, and individual time. That was a sweet few years, but I am truly grateful the season changed.
Now my oldest two are 8th grade (public school, loving color guard and choir) and 12th grade (still home schooled but doing senior year at ECTC, our community college that offers dual credit classes for 1/3 of the price of college)! I spend a lot of time driving these young ladies out of town for activities (and even campus visits!), and our oldest can drive now, too! Game changer.
My youngest two are in elementary school and they are thriving with the extra reading teachers, the opportunities to run for leadership in clubs, and just enjoying friends and sweet teachers.
The season has changed.
I only work two days a week as a private music lessons instructor, which I LOVE. I am constantly training and encouraging my students of all ages to reach in and pull out their best voice, their best effort, and it is so rewarding to see them apply these tools I have spent my life gathering!
BUT…along with the theme of a new season…I am feeling like I get to go back to my original thought of what I would do with my life.
I got my Bachelor’s degree from Campbellsville University (Go, Tigers!) in 1999. It was in Christian Social Ministries with a minor in Music, specialization in Voice. I loved every minute! (Ok, not the Bio class. That professor was wacko!) I have certainly used everything I learned on a daily basis in relationships, parenting, church planting, and missions; but other than the music part of my degree, I have never had any kind of social work/ministry as my profession even though that was my major.
SO, I don’t know what it’s going to look like or how much time I will even have to dedicate to it, but I am studying, praying, and beginning to serve in a volunteer capacity in the social services realm as well as look into Marriage and Family Therapy school/training. It would be a long long road for as slow as I would need to go, but I would be finished Lord-willing by the time my youngest are in high school, and could increase my work hours (again, Lord-willing) as they all go off to college.
This is a season of –
no longer homeschooling
preparing my oldest for college in all the ways
being present with my kids, their activities, their friends
sleeping in some days, on a weekday!!!!
having some alone time daily
volunteering somewhere completely different than where my kids need me to serve
getting to learn something completely different than what my kids need me to learn
It is not a “relief”, because I loved what I was doing. But oh how the Lord knew how much I needed to get back to some of the things that make me me.
It’s sweet to let the Lord change the season. It’s sweet to know He will do it in His time.
Are you in a season you are afraid He will change too quickly?
Are you in a season you are afraid He won’t change soon enough?
We never know how long something will last, but we do know there will always be sorrow and joy intermixed. We do know there will always be change, as well.
Let us live with open hands.
God really does know what we need and no season is wasted if we walk with Him through it. It may seem the roundabout way but as we all know, life (and God’s plan), isn’t about the destination or He would streamline this process!
We are always telling youth and kids that God knows the plan for their lives. We are probably talking about that next ten years as they make the most important decisions of their lives! But we can trust that truth extends on and on into our 80’s and 90’s and beyond. God will never be done conforming us to the image of His Son, blessing us with His Fatherly care, using every inch of the beautiful creation He made us individually to be, and letting our lives be a reflection of Him to others in a million different places and ways.
