She JourneysSample

Spring - Written by Claire Hailwood

Day 10 - A Time to Embrace

We first became parents through adoption, so we went from having no children to two under the age of 2 in two months. I wondered whether I’d ever do my hair and make up again or if I’d leave the house on my own successfully with the kids. It was a wild few weeks of little sleep, getting to know our new daughters, figuring out how to be parents. There were so many moments of feeling overwhelmed and ill equipped. Yet they were overshadowed by the unrivalled joy and gratitude we felt towards the gifts we’d been given: the wonder of two incredible girls and the delight in building a family we’d longed and prayed for, Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV), Matthew 5:4 (NIV), Psalm 37:4 (NIV).

Spring, a season full of new things brings great joy and often great challenge particularly because of the transition from one thing to another. Think about starting something new, whether it be a new job, new educational pursuit, or moving to a new house or area. These are times full of beauty, promise, opportunity and delight and a whole load of new challenges and questions we’re forced to confront as we learn to navigate the new season. It can be so easy for us to try and take on everything, to take responsibility (control) for everything and everyone, to cope and just get through. When we do that we can miss out on the opportunity to live freely and lightly as Jesus invites us to in Matthew 11:28-30 MSG.

So how can we live more lightly in ‘spring’, in the midst of the new?

1. Prioritise time with the one who created the seasons

As we invest in our time with the designer of the seasons in our life, we get to learn the new rhythms of the season as we lean into, rely on, and live in the rhythms of HIS grace (Matthew 11).

2. Delight in God and in the season 

To delight means to take great pleasure in, joy, and relish. The Bible tells us that God takes delight in us and invites us to delight to Him. In the midst of the joy, the newness, and the stretch and challenge, choose joy. Choose to delight in Him because He promises to lead, love, provide for us, and more. Ecclesiastes 3:5 tells us that there is a time to ‘embrace’. One of the definitions of embrace is, ‘to accept willingly or enthusiastically’. What a difference it makes when we choose to embrace the season we’re in as a wild adventure, the paradox of brilliant newness and stretching.

ASK :

• What are the joys of the season that you’re in and what are the challenges? What is God saying to you about how to embrace them?
• Do you take time to delight in God and His presence? Look up all the times that the word ‘delight’ occurs in the Bible and allow these truths to stir more delight in you.